Counter-Strike 2 player Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov has been ranked 14th in Forbes Russia’s list of the 30 most valuable personal brands among Russian athletes for 2026, published on 5 November. The Falcons rifler is the only esports player on the list. He climbed 10 places from 24th in the 2025 edition. Mixed martial arts fighter Islam Makhachev tops the 2026 ranking.
How Forbes Russia ranked m0NESY and other Russian athletes
The Forbes Russia ranking measures the strength of an athlete’s personal brand rather than their earnings. It uses four weighted measures. Audience engagement on social media counts for 40% of the score. Audience size on social networking channels counts for 30%, social media popularity for 20% and media popularity for 10%.
Figure skaters Alexandra Trusova and Kamila Valieva also rank in the top three alongside Makhachev. Football goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev, footballer Matvey Kislyak and tennis player Andrey Rublev are all ranked below m0NESY. Forbes Russia has not published a monetary value for the brands. It has also not published the individual scores behind each position. Forbes Russia notes that esports stars trail even chess in mentions in professional media. However, it says their fan base and engagement can compete with those of figure skaters.
m0NESY keeps Russia at the top of CS2
M0NESY, 21, is one of the best-known players in Counter-Strike. He plays for Falcons, the reigning Major champions. He won the IEM Cologne Major 2026 with Falcons and was named the event’s most valuable player. Forbes Russia also lists five EVP awards, for exceptionally valuable player, among his achievements. Forbes Russia calls him “the biggest star of Russian esports”. He has earned more than $1m in prize money during his career.
He has featured in HLTV’s list of the top 20 players of the year in every year since his debut season in 2022. He finished second on the 2024 list, behind Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. Falcons have stayed near the top this season, from their Esports World Cup 2026 opener to their ESL Pro League Season 24 run.
