What is the EuroLeague?
The EuroLeague is the championship of European club basketball and the strongest league in the world outside the NBA — 20 clubs from Madrid to Istanbul (and, since 2025, Dubai) playing a double round-robin into playoffs and the Final Four. Olympiacos are the 2026 champions, beating Real Madrid 92–85 in Athens for a fourth title, Evan Fournier the Final Four MVP.[1] [2]
How does it work?
Run since 2000 by Euroleague Basketball with its clubs — a largely licensed membership rather than pure promotion — atop the EuroCup as second tier, parallel to FIBA's Basketball Champions League. Its playing level, tactical culture and arenas make it the NBA's established counterweight, and a proven EuroLeague career is a recognized route into (and out of) the NBA.[1] [3]
Since when does it exist?
The lineage runs to the European Champions Cup of 1958, reorganized as the EuroLeague in 2000; Real Madrid's eleven titles lead all clubs, with CSKA Moscow, Panathinaikos and Maccabi Tel Aviv the other giants of its history.[1] [4]
| Season | Pool / Format | Host cities |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Olympiacos | Final Four Athens — 92–85 vs Real Madrid |
| 2024–25 | Fenerbahçe | Final Four Abu Dhabi — 81–70 vs Monaco |
| 2023–24 | Panathinaikos | Final Four Berlin — 95–80 vs Real Madrid |
| 2022–23 | Real Madrid | Final Four Kaunas — 79–78 vs Olympiacos |
| 2021–22 | Anadolu Efes | Final Four Belgrade — 58–57 vs Real Madrid |
| 2020–21 | Anadolu Efes | Final Four Cologne — 86–81 vs Barcelona |
| 2019–20 | — | Season canceled (COVID-19) |
| 2018–19 | CSKA Moscow | Final Four Vitoria — 91–83 vs Anadolu Efes |
| 2017–18 | Real Madrid | Final Four Belgrade — 85–80 vs Fenerbahçe |
| 2016–17 | Fenerbahçe | Final Four Istanbul — 80–64 vs Olympiacos |
EuroLeague champions of the last ten seasons.
Why does it matter?
For any player outside the NBA it is the sport's highest club stage — EuroLeague minutes, titles and MVP honors are elite credentials recognized worldwide, and its stars headline Europe's World Cup and Olympic contenders.[2] [3]
References
- EuroLeague Basketball — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- EuroLeague — Fournier takes 2026 Final Four MVP honors. Accessed August 2026.
- Eurohoops — 2026 Final Four, Athens. Accessed August 2026.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — EuroLeague. Accessed August 2026.