2022 Balloon World Cup
# 2022 Balloon World Cup

The 2022 Balloon World Cup is the second edition of the Balloon World Cup, a sporting event organized by Ibai Llanos and Gerard Piqué, based on a game of keep-up with a balloon that went viral on social media. This was the first edition for which national qualifying tournaments were held.

The tournament was held on 27 October 2022, at the PortAventura Convention Centre in Vila-seca, Tarragona, the same venue that had hosted the first World Cup the year prior. The number of entering countries was reduced from 32 to 16, with defending champion Francesco de la Cruz being the only returning player. Spain's Miguel Imbroda was crowned world champion defeating Brazil's Claudio Lassance in the final.

## Participants

2021 World Cup champion Francesco de la Cruz was announced as a participant during the Spanish qualifier. In September 2022, national qualifiers for multiple Latin American countries were announced as well.

| Competitor | Country |
| - | - |
| Lautaro Maqueda | Argentina |
| Claudio Lassance | Brazil |
| Monte Doebel-Hickok | Canada |
| Gabriela Amaro Salazar | Chile |
| Jorge Alba Ortiz | Colombia |
| Clément Dumais | France |
| Vanessa Klein | Germany |
| Joseph Romano | Italy |
| Gerardo Nocedal | Mexico |
| Dion de Brouwer | Netherlands |
| Francesco de la Cruz | Peru |
| Gustavo Cardoso | Portugal |
| Miguel Imbroda | Spain |
| Ogeday Girișken | Turkey |
| Thomas Hughes | United Kingdom |
| Keem Kim | United States |

## National qualifiers

### Spain

The Spanish national qualifier was held on 3 July 2022 at Fira de Barcelona in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, as part of the third and final day of the 2022 U-Beat Live Fest. Jan Franquesa, who won the bronze medal for Spain at the 2021 World Cup, took part in the tournament, but was eliminated in the first round.

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Pere Marquès | 3 | | | | | | |
| David Palanques | 2 | Pere Marquès | 4 | | | | |
| Ricard Brufau | 4 | Ricard Brufau | 7 | | | | |
| Cristina Homet | 1 | | | Ricard Brufau | 3 | | |
| Yeray Veróniz | 1 | | | Adrián Pérez | 4 | | |
| Hugo Ramírez | 3 | Hugo Ramírez | 1 | | | | |
| Adrián Pérez | 4 | Adrián Pérez | 2 | | | | |
| Joel Gafarot | 2 | | | | | Adrián Pérez | 2 |
| Evilmoon | 2 | | | | | Miguel Imbroda | 7 |
| Javi Domingo | 9 | Javi Domingo | 0 | | | | |
| Miguel Imbroda | 4 | Miguel Imbroda | 2 | | | | |
| Marc Páez | 2 | | | Miguel Imbroda | 4 | | |
| Jan Franquesa | 0 | | | Alex Aymerich | 3 | | |
| Àlex Pérez | 4 | Àlex Pérez | 0 | | | | |
| Alex Aymerich | 5 | Alex Aymerich | 2 | | | | |
| Judith Pelejero | 4 | | | | | | |

### Latin America

National qualifiers for Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil and Colombia were held concurrently in Buenos Aires, Argentina, between 17 and 18 September 2022.

**Chile**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Matheo Jara Ziller | 2 | | | | |
| Gonzalo Pauchard Silva | 3 | Gonzalo Pauchard Silva | 4 | | |
| Mario Espinoza | 4 | Olavia Paz Campos | 0 | | |
| Olavia Paz Campos | 5 | | | Gonzalo Pauchard Silva | 4 |
| Gabriela Amaro Salazar | 2 | | | Gabriela Amaro Salazar | 6 |
| Lorena Castillo Bordón | 0 | Gabriela Amaro Salazar | 4 | | |
| Manuel Raggio Tocol | 5 | Manuel Raggio Tocol | 0 | | |
| Yasna Leiva Cortés | 1 | | | | |

**Argentina**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Lautaro Maqueda Channame | 3 | | | | |
| Santiago Rodríguez Zahn | 0 | Lautaro Maqueda Channame | 1 | | |
| Milagros Mansilla | 3 | Milagros Mansilla | 0 | | |
| Anabella Gamboa | 2 | | | Lautaro Maqueda Channame | 5 |
| Luca Prezioso | 1 | | | Juanfrancisco Suárez | 4 |
| Facundo Sgro | 2 | Facundo Sgro | 0 | | |
| Juanfrancisco Suárez | 1 | Juanfrancisco Suárez | 2 | | |
| Martiniano Fontanelle | 0 | | | | |

**Colombia**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Víctor Fabián Aldana | 4 | | | | |
| Braian Ramírez Masmela | 0 | Víctor Fabián Aldana | 2 | | |
| Robert Mendoza Ospina | 3 | Robert Mendoza Ospina | 4 | | |
| Fabián Vera | 2 | | | Robert Mendoza Ospina | 1 |
| Wilder Portocarrero González | 4 | | | Jorge Alba Ortiz | 6 |
| Johan Bermúdez Viasus | 1 | Wilder Portocarrero González | 1 | | |
| Jorge Alba Ortiz | 1 | Jorge Alba Ortiz | 3 | | |
| Yisel Morales | 0 | | | | |

**Mexico**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Luis Fernando Montoya | 1 | | | | |
| Estefanía Yvonne Farias | 2 | Estefanía Yvonne Farias | 0 | | |
| María Fernanda Rayna | 0 | José Daniel Trejo | 1 | | |
| José Daniel Trejo | 1 | | | José Daniel Trejo | 0 |
| Luis Gerardo Ortega Nocedal | 2 | | | Luis Gerardo Ortega Nocedal | 2 |
| Silvio Miguel Suárez | 1 | Luis Gerardo Ortega Nocedal | 2 | | |
| José Miguel Caro | 1 | José Miguel Caro | 1 | | |
| Jorge Mandujano | 0 | | | | |

**Brazil**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Cléber Francisco dos Santos | 0 | | | | |
| Agda Balestra | 1 | Agda Balestra | 2 | | |
| Isla Montalier Queiroz | 1 | Isla Montalier Queiroz | 1 | | |
| Natalí de Andrae Oliveira | 0 | | | Agda Balestra | 3 |
| Daiane Alves Villaboes | 3 | | | Claudio Lassance | 4 |
| Alexander Souza do Nascimento | 1 | Daiane Alves Villaboes | 0 | | |
| Lucas Rubín | 0 | Claudio Lassance | 2 | | |
| Claudio Lassance | 4 | | | | |

### North America

National qualifiers for the United States and Canada took place on 7 October 2022 as part of the first day of the TwitchCon event in San Diego, California, United States.

**United States**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Alixxa | 1 | | | | |
| MeesterKeem | 3 | MeesterKeem | 2 | | |
| CookSux | 1 | JoeyKaotyk | 1 | | |
| JoeyKaotyk | 6 | | | MeesterKeem | 6 |
| Smirky | 0 | | | Nesua | 0 |
| Nesua | 2 | Nesua | 2 | | |
| Britanny | 0 | DailyDasher | 0 | | |
| DailyDasher | 1 | | | | |

**Canada**

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| P1kapeach | 0 | | | | |
| Coco_chm | 4 | Coco_chm | 0 | | |
| TheWildLatina | 1 | MDee14 | 4 | | |
| MDee14 | 2 | | | MDee14 | 4 |
| GuhRL | 1 | | | Dreads | 9 |
| Zummmers | 0 | GuhRL | 1 | | |
| ParkenHarbor | 2 | Dreads | 2 | | |
| Dreads | 3 | | | | |

* ↑ The match was abandoned after the first point due to an injury sustained by Zummmers.

## Tournament staff

| Person | Role |
| - | - |
| Ibai Llanos | Announcers |
| José Riobó | Announcers |
| Ander Cortés | Announcers |
| Suzyroxx | Pre-show interviewers |
| Sekiam | Pre-show interviewers |
| Rafa Guerrero | Referees |
| Sandra Adell | Referees |
| Franc Tormo | Referees |
| Nacho Tellado | Assistant referee |

## Tournament bracket

The draw to determine the first-round matchups and the tournament bracket was held on 26 October 2022.

| Round of 16 | Round of 16 | Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Gabriela Amaro | 2 | | | | | | |
| Vanessa Klein | 3 | Vanessa Klein | 1 | | | | |
| Claudio Lassance | 3 | Claudio Lassance | 2 | | | | |
| Thomas Hughes | 2 | | | Claudio Lassance | 3 | | |
| Monte Doebel-Hickok | 3 | | | Lautaro Maqueda | 0 | | |
| Francesco de la Cruz | 0 | Monte Doebel-Hickok | 1 | | | | |
| Lautaro Maqueda | 3 | Lautaro Maqueda | 2 | | | | |
| Gerardo Nocedal | 0 | | | | | Claudio Lassance | 2 |
| Ogeday Girişken | 0 | | | | | Miguel Imbroda | 4 |
| Dion de Brouwer | 1 | Dion de Brouwer | 0 | | |
| Miguel Imbroda | 3 | Miguel Imbroda | 2 | | |
| Jorge Alba | 2 | | | Miguel Imbroda | 3 | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| Joseph Romano | 1 | | | Clément Dumais | 2 |
| Gustavo Cardoso | 3 | Gustavo Cardoso | 1 | | | Lautaro Maqueda | 3 |
| Clément Dumais | 4 | Clément Dumais | 3 | | | Clément Dumais | 2 |
| Keem Kim | 1 | | | | | | |
