First time in career: Kazakh player enters the world’s top 10

Tengrinews.kz – Kazakh esports player Danil 'molodoy' Golubenko, who plays for Brazilian team FURIA, has ranked sixth among the world’s best players according to HLTV.

The respected Counter-Strike portal, which annually ranks the top esports players worldwide, named the 20-year-old Kazakh one of the biggest discoveries of 2025.

“Danil 'molodoy' Golubenko entered the top 20 players of the year for the first time in his career after a rapid rise in 2025. The Kazakh sniper broke into the elite tier in April and quickly adapted to the higher level of competition, winning four tournaments with FURIA and earning two MVP awards,” the portal wrote.

One of the key events that helped Golubenko reach the world’s elite took place in Astana. In Kazakhstan’s capital, he and FURIA advanced to the semifinals of a major PGL tournament.

Molodoy was also named the best player of the quarterfinals and later spoke about the importance of competing on home soil.

“I’ve been working toward this for a long time. I really enjoy it — especially the feeling of representing my flag. I’m very happy that I’ve made it to this level, because this game is what I truly love. Thank you, everyone,” the Kazakh player said.

It is worth noting that PGL will return to Astana in 2026, with the tournament set to be held at Barys Arena.