Chilean rapper El Menor was crowned champion of the Red Bull Batalla 2026 International Final after defeating Peruvian Almendrades in the final, on a night marked by the fervor of the Santiago crowd, who carried the local favorite to become the first Chilean representative to conquer the world title.
Fueled by a total connection with the crowd, Efraín Jesús Reeve Barría delivered an impeccable performance at the Movistar Arena, where he grew stronger with each battle until claiming the belt. The Chilean overcame Reverse in the round of 16, Teorema in the quarterfinals in a fratricidal duel that ended with a symbolic passing of the flags, and Colombian Valles-T in the semifinals, before culminating his performance with the definitive victory against Almendrades in the final round.
“The heir to the throne,” as El Menor has been nicknamed since his first appearances, channeled the narratives surrounding him with a performance that combined technical solidity, competitive intelligence, and a decisive management of the context. His mastery of timing, his reading of the battles and the unconditional support of the Chilean public marked the course of a final in which he knew how to impose his discourse from the beginning.
Facing him, Almendrades made the biggest splash of the day. The Peruvian, making his debut in an International Final, surprised everyone with an outstanding performance that took him to the final after eliminating, among others, the Spaniard Chuty, one of the main favorites for the title.
Third place went to Valles-T, who defeated Exe in the bronze medal match and secured his spot on the podium after a controversial semifinal against El Menor, a battle heavily influenced by the local crowd’s boos. The Colombian, however, guaranteed his qualification for the next edition with a consistent performance throughout the night.
The day also saw some high-impact early eliminations. Gazir, one of the top contenders for the world title, fell in the first round to the Peruvian Nekroos after a battle whose outcome was inextricably linked to the Chilean crowd’s influence on the judges’ vote; while Bnet was eliminated by Valles-T in a rematch of a historic rivalry that once again ended in controversy.
urthermore, it was announced during the event that Peru will host the 2027 International Final, more than a decade after the last one held in the country in 2016, when Skone was crowned champion after defeating Jota.
Thus, El Menor becomes the first Chilean to join the historical list of Red Bull Batalla international champions, alongside names like Frescolate (2005), Rayden (2006), Link One (2007), Hadrián (2008), Noult (2009), Dtoke (2013), Invert (2014), Arkano (2015), Skone (2016), Aczino (2017, 2021 and 2022), Wos (2018), Bnet (2019), Rapder (2020) and Chuty (2023 and 2024, shared with Gazir).With El Menor’s victory, Red Bull Batalla adds a new champion to its history and begins a stage marked by the consolidation of Chile in the elite of international
