By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The 2025-26 Adidas NextGen season is rapidly approaching its final tournament, with the qualifying field nearly set for the Finals. In the Belgrade Qualifiers, U18 Pole France INSEP Paris officially punched their ticket to the Greek capital with a flawless 4-0 record. Their qualifying campaign culminated in a dominant 95–73 victory over host Crvena Zvezda Belgrade in the championship game on Sunday. The French team relied on a relentless transition attack and interior dominance to dismantle the local favorites, establishing a double-digit lead early in the second quarter that they never relinquished.
Nathan Soliman, a 2009-born phenom, secured Most Valuable Player honors. In the final, he stuffed the stat sheet with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists for a staggering Performance Index Rating of 35. His consistent excellence across the weekend in Serbia solidified his status as one of Europe’s most versatile young prospects. He was joined on the All-Tournament Team by teammate Messi Yangala, Crvena Zvezda’s Aleksej Nedeljkovic, Next Gen Team Belgrade’s Klark Riethauser, and the tournament’s leading scorer, Lukas Bojovic of Partizan Mozzart Bet.
With this victory, INSEP was placed in an elite group of confirmed finalists, including U18 FC Barcelona and U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana. These programs, along with five invited wildcards, will descend upon Athens from May 22–24. The season concludes with the championship game taking place during the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens presented by Etihad weekend, where the next generation of icons will battle for the continental crown on Europe’s biggest stage.