We're just one week away from closing registration and scheduling the first week of matches for the Virtual World Cup. That's exciting! We're happy we've gotten such enthusiastic responses from so many players, and we're really looking forward to watching the action unfold, especially with so many top players in the field. It's going to be great.

Having said that, it's also scary - we've got a whole lot of work to do this week. We need to plan out the specifics of the tournament schedule, roll out a new and improved live coverage website, and prepare to stream some of the matches on Twitch.

Also, most importantly, we need to finalize a field of 16 national teams.

In this space last Monday, we gave you an update on the field - we had 6 teams locked in for sure and a whole lot of question marks beyond that. Now, one week later, I'm happy to say we've made a lot of progress. We're much closer to having a full field of 16, though not all the way there. Below is another update on where everything stands and what still needs to happen before our slate of teams is fully ready to go. Here goes:

LOCKS (11): United States, Australia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Ireland, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Canada

These 11 countries are all locked in, as they all have at least 5 players signed up for the Virtual World Cup. The order you see above is ranked by the average WESPA rating of the countries' 5-player rosters; if the tournament started today, the first four nations would be the No. 1 seeds in their respective groups. The U.S. would be the top seed overall, just barely edging out Australia, 2026-2025. Really, though, I expect all 11 of these teams to be highly competitive. They're loaded with talent.

What you can do: If you're from one of these countries and you haven't signed up yet, there's still time! Register now and you can still make your national team, as either a starter or an alternate for days when a teammate can't make it.

VERY LIKELY (2): New Zealand, Sri Lanka

These two countries are in the same boat - they each have 4 players signed up, and all they need is a fifth. I've been in touch with members of both teams, and both sound confident they'll be able to complete their roster in time.

What you can do: If you're from one of these countries, there's a spot in the tournament up for grabs! Enter now.

STILL TO BE DETERMINED (5): Thailand, Ghana, Hong Kong, Kenya, Rest of World

Assuming all of the previous 13 teams are in, that leaves 3 spots, and 5 contenders to fill them. All of them have a little work to do. Here's where they stand at the moment:

• Thailand has 0 players currently on the list, but I've been in touch with a Thai player who is confident that a roster will come together soon. I'll follow up with him.

• Ghana is in the same position - 0 players so far, but a Ghanaian player has told me that he expects to be able to build a team. I'm hoping to get that sorted out in the coming days.

• Hong Kong is 2/5 of the way to a complete team. I've reached out to their two players and asked for their help to recruit three more.

• Kenya is the same - 2/5 of the way there, and I'll work with them to find more players.

• A ROW squad is definitely an option here. There are a few strong players from nations not listed above (Bahrain, Venezuela, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda). Take them, combine them with the players from whichever countries above don't make the cut, and you've got a 5-player team.

What you can do: If you're from one of the above countries and want to play - or know of someone else who might be - please get in touch with me. I'm really hoping to make this final push and get a complete field of 16 national teams.

We're almost there! To everyone who's signed up so far, thank you. And I hope you've got your A game ready, because matches begin in just one week. To anyone who's still on the fence: It's not too late to get in the game. All you've got to do is follow the link below.