NEW ORLEANS (July 26, 2026) — In a season finale that defied the odds and pushed the limits of human endurance, X Games Club New York (XC New York) captured the inaugural MoonPay X Games League (XGL) championship. In a dramatic conclusion at the legendary Caesars Superdome, the team secured the trophy, the bragging rights, and a $500,000 grand prize on the very final run of the season.
The championship, which spanned stops in Sacramento, Chiba, and New Orleans, concluded with XC New York tallying 2,640 total points. Their victory was a masterclass in resilience, narrowly edging out XC Tokyo, who finished with 2,630 points. XC Los Angeles secured third place with 2,380 points, followed by XC São Paulo at 2,350.
The Defining Moment: Grit Over Gravity
The narrative of the final day was dominated by one man: Daniel Sandoval. Entering the competition with a fractured kneecap, torn ligaments, and additional rib and wrist injuries, Sandoval’s participation was in doubt until the final moments. With XC New York holding a precarious 20-point lead entering the final event—the Men’s BMX Park—the pressure was palpable.
When it was his turn to drop in, Sandoval didn’t just compete; he performed with a level of grit that defined the league’s inaugural ethos. Stomping a clean, high-intensity second run, he secured a fourth-place finish, just enough to insulate his team against late-stage errors from XC Tokyo’s Kevin Peraza and Bryce Tryon.
"45 seconds is all I needed, and here we are with the championship," an exhausted but ecstatic Sandoval said after the event. "We got it by 10 points, and it came down to the final run. I’m hurting so bad right now, but it’s all worth it."
A Season of Records: Mizuho Hasegawa’s MVP Masterclass
While the team trophy headed to New York, individual brilliance reached its zenith in the form of XC Tokyo’s 15-year-old phenom, Mizuho Hasegawa. Capping a historic campaign, Hasegawa was crowned the XGL’s first-ever Most Valuable Player.
Hasegawa’s performance throughout 2026 was unprecedented. Across nine events, she secured eight medals—two gold, five silver, and one bronze—shattering the previous record of six medals in a single calendar year. She finished the season with 680 points, far and away the highest individual tally in the league. Despite the individual honor, her focus remained firmly on the collective.
"I’m really happy that I was able to get the MVP, but of course, I’m really bummed about XC Tokyo not winning the whole thing," Hasegawa said. "This would have never happened without the support of everyone and my teammates."
Event-by-Event Breakdown: The Road to New Orleans
The final day of competition was a high-stakes showcase across seven distinct disciplines. Here is how the action unfolded:
Stake Women’s BMX Park
Miharu Ozawa (XC Tokyo) cemented her status as the rider to beat, becoming the first BMX athlete since Dave Mirra to win three consecutive park competitions. The 16-year-old’s flawless technicality added 100 points to Tokyo’s total. Behind her, Free Agent Kim Mueller took silver, while Hannah Roberts (XC New York) delivered an act of extreme fortitude, competing through a fractured leg to take bronze and provide essential points for her championship-bound club.
MoonPay Men’s Skateboard Vert
Tom Schaar, captain of XC Los Angeles, proved his dominance in the Big Easy. After a shaky first run, he recovered to take gold. Schaar, who has been competing at the X Games since he was 12, now holds 23 career medals. Soya Inomata (Free Agent) secured silver, while Luigi Cini (Free Agent) earned his first-ever X Games medal with a bronze.
Stake Women’s Skateboard Park
In a thrilling duel, Sky Brown (XC São Paulo) snatched victory from MVP Mizuho Hasegawa in her final run. Brown, who now owns the most X Games Park medals in history (four gold, two silver), performed a frontside 540—the first time the trick has been successfully landed by a woman in X Games competition. Helli Servio (XC New York) took home the bronze, a crucial finish that helped keep her team at the top of the leaderboard.
Stake Men’s BMX Dirt Best Trick
Brandon Loupos (Free Agent) ended an eight-year gold medal drought, landing a double backflip tailwhip to stun the crowd. Brady Baker (XC Los Angeles) took silver, while Kaden Stone (Free Agent) rounded out the podium with a historic four-rotation jump.
Stake Men’s Skateboard Park Best Trick
In a non-points spotlight event, Tom Schaar made history once again. By winning this event, he became the first athlete to win four medals in a single X Games event and the first to capture three gold medals in one event since Travis Pastrana in 2006.
Monster Energy Women’s Skateboard Street Best Trick
Momiji Nishiya (XC New York) delivered the defining moment of her team’s season. Her gold-medal-winning crooked grind nollie heelflip on the 13-stair rail allowed her to overtake XC Tokyo’s top riders and maintain the championship lead for New York.
The Final Showdown: Men’s BMX Park
The final event saw Justin Dowell (Free Agent) take gold, but the spotlight remained on the standings. Daniel Sandoval’s fourth-place finish was the ultimate defensive play, securing the points needed to fend off the Tokyo charge and finalize the leaderboard.
Official Responses and League Philosophy
Jeremy Bloom, CEO of X Games, praised the athletes’ resolve, noting that the inaugural season succeeded in building a culture of team accountability.
"The first championship in any league becomes part of its history forever," Bloom said. "I’ve never seen so many competitors refuse to let injuries define them. They kept showing up, kept dropping in, and kept putting everything on the line for their teammates. That’s the culture we wanted to build."
XC New York General Manager Steve Rodriguez echoed this sentiment, looking forward to a victory celebration in the Big Apple. "I felt like we won the draft," Rodriguez noted. "This group of individuals was always into it from the start. They always showed up, always performed, and they always had each other’s backs. Mayor Mamdani, get the bus ready because XC NY is coming for the parade!"
Implications: A New Era for Action Sports
The inaugural season of the MoonPay X Games League represents a fundamental shift in the action sports landscape. By moving to a team-based, coed structure, the XGL has introduced a season-long narrative arc that allows for deeper fan engagement and provides athletes with more stable, long-term compensation models.
The success of the league in 2026 demonstrates that action sports can thrive in a structured, professional environment without losing the raw, high-stakes excitement that has defined the X Games for decades. With the establishment of geographic clubs, the league has begun to foster regional pride, turning individual specialists into team icons.
As the dust settles in New Orleans, the X Games League has established itself as a viable, year-round platform. The combination of high-level production, global media reach, and a format that rewards depth of roster over individual dominance signals a bright, sustainable future for the world’s leading action sports brand. With the trophy now headed to New York, the countdown to the 2027 season begins, with rivals already looking to dismantle the reigning champions in what promises to be an even more intense second year.
