The Esports Foundation (EF) announced Wednesday that Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok, the most decorated player in League of Legends history, has been named a Game Ambassador for the Esports World Cup (EWC) and Esports Nations Cup (ENC) through 2028.
The role places Faker alongside football star Cristiano Ronaldo and chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen in the Foundation’s Ambassador Program, a group meant to represent the growing overlap between traditional sport and competitive gaming. Faker will represent professional players’ perspectives across the Foundation’s international events, athlete initiatives, media engagements and leadership forums.
“You can’t talk about esports without mentioning Faker,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation. “He is the defining athlete of competitive gaming: a champion whose excellence, discipline and longevity have inspired an entire generation,” Reichert said Faker’s appointment reflects the idea that esports produces its own global icons, and that he will help ensure players have a voice in shaping the sport’s future.
Faker called the role a natural extension of his career. “Competition has shaped my life, and I am proud to join the Esports Foundation as Game Ambassador,” he said, adding that he plans to keep competing with T1 while representing players and fans worldwide.
Over more than a decade with T1, Faker has won six League of Legends World Championships, two MSI titles, ten domestic championships and the inaugural Esports World Cup in 2024. He returns to EWC this week with T1, aiming to reclaim that title.
Beyond the game, Faker has become one of South Korea’s most recognized sporting figures. In 2026, he became the first esports athlete to receive the Blue Dragon Medal, the nation’s highest sporting honor, presented by President Lee Jae-myung for his contributions to Korean sport and culture.
The Foundation says Faker’s influence now reaches well beyond competitive gaming, with his discipline and resilience resonating across sport, government, business and entertainment. His new ambassadorship is expected to expand that role as the EWC and ENC continue through 2028.
