Belgium Women’s Team Reign Supreme in Europe Again

The 40th edition of the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket was held from June 18 to 29 across four European countries: the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Greece. It was the first time the tournament took place in four host nations. Belgium entered as the defending champion, and Serbia also took part in the competition. For those tracking outcomes through platforms like Merkur XTip, the tournament carried extra importance, as the winner earned automatic qualification for next year’s Women’s Basketball World Cup in Germany, while the top five teams secured spots in the qualifying tournament.

Host Countries

The four host nations welcomed Europe’s top women’s basketball teams in the following cities: Brno (Czech Republic), Hamburg (Germany), Bologna (Italy), and Piraeus (Greece).

Tournament Format

Sixteen national teams competed, divided into four groups of four. The top two teams from each group advanced to the quarterfinals.

Group A

Group A included Turkey, France, Switzerland, and Greece.

• Round 1: France edged Turkey 71–69; Greece beat Switzerland 87–65

• Round 2: Turkey defeated Switzerland 91–67; France cruised past Greece 92–56

• Round 3: France crushed Switzerland 111–37; Turkey overcame Greece 83–72

France topped the group with three wins, followed by Turkey in second.

Group B

Group B featured Slovenia, Lithuania, Serbia, and Italy. While Serbia wasn’t among the top favorites, hopes were high for advancing to the knockout stage.

• Round 1: Serbia fell to Italy 70–61; Lithuania beat Slovenia 77–71

• Round 2: Serbia suffered another loss, this time to Lithuania 74–63; Italy beat Slovenia 77–66

• Round 3: Slovenia defeated Serbia 84–69, handing the team its third straight loss; Italy beat Lithuania 65–51

Italy finished first in the group, with Lithuania securing second place and a spot in the next round.

Group C

Belgium, Czech Republic, Montenegro, and Portugal competed in Group C.

• Round 1: Czech Republic dominated Montenegro 89–44; Belgium beat Portugal 81–52

• Round 2: Czech Republic defeated Portugal 73–52; Belgium beat Montenegro 87–53

• Round 3: Belgium overcame Czech Republic 72–60; Portugal defeated Montenegro 63–49

Belgium finished first as expected, with the Czech Republic, one of the host nations, in second place.

Group D

Group D included Great Britain, Spain, Germany, and Sweden.

• Round 1: Spain beat Great Britain 85–70; Germany defeated Sweden 89–76

• Round 2: Sweden beat Great Britain 75–66; Spain overcame Germany 79–60

• Round 3: Spain won an overtime thriller against Sweden 78–75; Germany beat Great Britain 80–67

Spain took first place, with Germany, another host nation, advancing as group runner-up.

Quarterfinals

• France defeated Lithuania 83–61

• Italy edged Turkey in overtime 76–74

• Spain beat Czech Republic 88–81

• Belgium convincingly defeated Germany 83–59

Semifinals and Final

The semifinals were tightly contested, offering drama and strong opportunities for live betting action.

• Spain narrowly beat France 65–64

• Belgium edged Italy 66–64

In the third-place game, Italy defeated France 69–54.

Championship Game

The final featured a thrilling showdown between Belgium and Spain. In a game decided by fine margins, Belgium secured a 67–65 win, successfully defending the title they won at the previous EuroBasket and confirming their place at the top of European women’s basketball.