FIBA European Championship - the best European basketball tournament
FIBA European Championship is the leading professional basketball tournament for national teams in Europe. Founded in 1935, FIBA EuroBasket was the first European basketball championship. Teams in the FIBA European Championship start with the group stage, where each team plays 5 matches. After the group stage, which consists of 60 matches, the top-ranked teams in their groups advance to the playoffs. There are 16 matches played in the playoffs. Thus, one team can play a maximum of 11 matches (5 in the group stage and 6 in the playoffs if they reach the final), and the total number of matches in the tournament is 76. Teams earn 2 points if they win and 0 if they lose. In basketball, it is impossible to end a match in a tie. If the teams have the same score, the point differential and total number of points scored or other factors become the determining points.
Best National Teams of the Tournament
As of 2023, the Soviet Union has won the FIBA European Championship more times than any other team, with 14 titles in total. The last time a team won the competition was in 1985, defeating Czechoslovakia 120-89 in the final.
Other teams include Spain, Yugoslavia, Greece, Italy and France, so they are part of an elite group.
When will the next FIBA European Championship be held? The schedule
The next tournament will be held in 2025. FIBA European Championship qualification is open to different teams. The qualification matches will be played in three windows: from 19 to 27 February 2024, from 18 to 26 November 2024 and from 17 to 25 February 2025. Each team will play two matches in each window.
Routes to Participation: The FIBA European Championship Journey
In order to participate in the FIBA European Championship main stage, teams must successfully complete the qualification stages. These qualification matches determine which teams will be eligible to participate in the main tournament. The exact qualification details and the number of teams that will advance to the main tournament depend on FIBA regulations and may change from one tournament to the next.
FIBA European Championship All-Time Records and Prize Pool
FIBA European Championship all-time top scorer is Nikos Galis and Radivoj Korać, both with four titles as the top scorer of the tournament. Nikos Galis scored impressive points during his appearances, with a notable 37.0 points per game in 1987. Similarly, Radivoj Korać had remarkable performances, with his highest being 28.1 points per game in 1959. Pau Gasol and Krešimir Ćosić are the only players ever to win the FIBA European Championship MVP award twice.