By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Another possible bid for the hosting rights of the Final Four 2026 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague has emerged in the form of Athens, per Eurohoops’ Aris Barkas.
Valencia was the favorite and Belgrade was also in the running, as reported by Eurohoops in late April. The Greek capital via the renovated OAKA Altion can enter to create a three-way sprint to the season-ending tournament of the 2025-26 installment of Europe’s premier club continental competition.
However, Athens has not officially submitted a bid to host the Final Four 2026, per sources. Meanwhile, Belgrade is eager to pick up the event for Belgrade Arena, and Valencia’s brand new Roig Arena remains a candidate, but no longer as the main option compared to other venues.
Athens is a possible candidate for the next #Euroleague Final Four due to renovated OAKA. However, per sources, there’s no proposal yet by the city of Athens for hosting the event. Belgrade on the contrary is eager to host and Valencia remains possible.
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— Aris Barkas (@arbarkas) May 30, 2025
The most recent championship-crowning tournament was held in Abu Dhabi, with Etihad Arena hosting the Final Four 2025. Fenerbahce Beko eliminated defending champion Panathinaikos Aktor in the Semifinals on May 23, before defeating AS Monaco on Sunday to win the championship for the second time in team history. Nigel Hayes-Davis was named Most Valuable Player.
With the offseason underway and heading to the 2025-26 campaign, Euroleague Basketball officially approved the expansion of the playing field from 18 to 20 teams on Thursday. Retaining the double-legged round-robin format, the Regular Season will last 38 games instead of 34, before the Play-In Showdown and the Playoffs en route to the next Final Four.
The complete schedule of the 2025-26 season will be announced during the summer.