If you haven’t watched the Street Fighter League Americas 2026 Finals, you’re missing out. It is — and I say this with complete sincerity — some of the best competitive Street Fighter I have ever seen in my life, mostly owing to a heart-stopping set between Derek ‘Blaz’ and Noah ‘NoahTheProdigy’ Solis.
Blaz, a 17-year-old Chilean phenom, broke into the scene with a bang when he was just 14 years old. At 15, he got second place at Capcom Cup — the world’s most competitive Street Fighter tournament — and at 16, he secured third place. During this time, Latin America as a region became extremely strong in Street Fighter 6, with figures like 15-year-old Chilean player Craime making Top 8 at Evo Las Vegas this year and winning the 2026 Esports World Cup for the game.
LATAM’s strength showed itself in spades at the Street Fighter League Americas Finals this year. Blaz and his team 2Game, made up of players from Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil, plowed through the competition, culminating in a breathtaking Grand Finals set that had viewers at the edge of their seats. Blaz, using Jamie (a wildly underrepresented character in competitive Street Fighter) and NoahTheProdigy,
