In the history of The International, since the inaugural Dota 2 esports event premiered at Gamescom 2011, only 10 stars have lifted the Aegis of Champions twice. At The International 2025, there’s a solid chance one or more players will breathe in this rarified air when the dust settles over the Barclays Arena in Hamburg, Germany on September 14.
After all, The International 2025 is wide open for the taking, with favorites such as Team Spirit and the defending champions, Team Liquid, sent packing early, and the resurgence of Chinese Dota thanks to Xtreme Gaming’s flawless Swiss Stage run, sending shockwaves through the community.
Image Credit: Valve
There are nine players and two coaches who fans must take special note of, as they have a chance to etch themselves into the history books.
The Aegis of Champions Beckons for Familiar Hands
Five of the eight teams at the Playoffs Stage at The International 2025 have one or more players or a coach who have previously won the event. You’ll find the list of these players and their respective teams outlined below:
- Zhang “xiao8” Ning (Xtreme Gaming) – Won The International 2014 with Newbee as a player
- Martin “Saksa” Sazdov (Tundra Esports) – Won The International with the team
- Neta “33” Shapira (Tundra Esports) – Won The International 2022 with Tundra Esports, and The International 2024 with Team Liquid
- Oliver “skiter” Lepko and Jingjun “Sneyking” Wu (Team Falcons) – Won The International 2022 with Tundra Esports
- Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling (Tundra Esports) – Won The International 2015 with Evil Geniuses, and The International 2022 as the coach of Tundra Esports
- Zhang “Faith_bian” Ruida and Zhang “y`” Yiping (Team Tidebound) – Won The International 2016 with Wings Gaming
- Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan (Nigma Galaxy) – Won The International 2015 with Evil Geniuses
- Maroun “GH” Merhej (Nigma Galaxy) – Won The International 2017 with Team Liquid
- Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takhasomi (Coach for Nigma Galaxy) – Won The International 2017 with Team Liquid as a player
With many of these contenders on the opposite sides of the Playoffs bracket, the chances of a repeat champion are high.
There are two stars from the list above that we must discuss even further, since they could become the first-ever pro player to lift the Aegis of Champions three times.
33 and Aui_2000 Looking for the Threepeat
No player has ever won The International three times. The now-retired Finnish superstar, Topias “Topson” Taavitsainen, has come the closest, winning The International twice with OG (becoming the first and only back-to-back champions in 2019) and then placing third with Tundra Esports last year.
Despite being one of the favorites, Team Spirit crashed out of The International 2025 in the Elimination Round, losing 2-0 to Team Falcons, which means the only remaining player at The International 2025 who has a shot at becoming a three-time champion is Israeli offlaner for Tundra Esports, the great Neta “33” Shapira.
At The International 2022’s Grand Final, Tundra Esports crushed Team Secret 3-0, and 33 became a world champion. With Team Liquid at The International 2024, 33 once again lifted the Aegis of Champions, beating Gaimin Gladiators 3-0 in the Grand Final. He is the first and only player to ever win two The Internationals with different teams.
Team Falcons’ coach, Kurtis “Aui_2000” Ling, won The International 2015 as a player for Evil Geniuses, and The International 2022 as a coach for Tundra Esports. He is the first – and still the only – person to ever win the event both as a coach and a player.
If Team Falcons wins The International 2025, Aui_2000 will become the 2nd coach in history to win a The International twice (the honor of being first goes to Team Spirit’s Airat “Silent” Gaziev), and remain the only person in the history books to win the tournament as a player and a coach.
The jury’s out on what’s more impressive: becoming the first person ever to win the iconic event three times as a player, or once as a player, and multiple times as a coach.
Wessel Minnie
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