EuroBasket 2025: Five Teams That Could Challenge for the Continental Title

EuroBasket 2025 tips off August 27 in Helsinki, marking FIBA's first major European championship in a four-year cycle following the 2022 tournament in Prague. The 24-team competition features expanded pools and a move to August scheduling, a shift from the traditional September-October window. Finland, Poland, Germany and Latvia share host responsibilities across four cities.

Germany enters the competition as the defending World Cup champion (winning the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila) and the clear favorite. Five additional teams have credible paths to the title: Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, and Croatia. France, typically a contender, missed qualifying for the tournament following the 2024 Olympics and will not participate in 2025 — the country's first absence from EuroBasket since 1989.

Germany's Title Defense

Germany's 2023 FIBA World Cup victory represented the country's first major international basketball title in 70 years. Head coach Gordon Herbert, who took over in 2022, has built a team around a generation of NBA-level players: Dennis Schroder (Detroit Pistons), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Daniel Theis (New Orleans Pelicans), and Moritz Wagner (Magic).

Germany has followed the World Cup title with consistent performance in FIBA competitions, winning the 2024 Olympic basketball bronze medal in Paris. Schroder, who has been named team captain through 2026, told Basketball News in January that Germany "has now become a team that expects to win, not one that hopes to win." The team's depth and tactical flexibility make it the clear pre-tournament favorite.

Serbia's Jokic Factor

Serbia's EuroBasket chances depend significantly on Nikola Jokic's participation. The three-time NBA MVP has publicly committed to playing, but his presence is contingent on the conclusion of his Denver Nuggets season — Denver is in the playoffs, and a deep run could shorten Jokic's preparation window. Serbia's head coach Svetislav Pesic has expressed confidence that Jokic will be fully fit by the August 27 opener.

Beyond Jokic, Serbia features Aleksa Avramovic, Vasilije Micic (Milwaukee Bucks), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Los Angeles Clippers), and Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat). The team's depth has been described by Pesic as "the best Serbian basketball has been since the 2016 Rio Olympics," where Serbia won silver.

Slovenia's Doncic-Led Squad

Slovenia, now led from the bench by head coach Aleksander Sekulic following the retirement of coach Raul Cimerman in 2023, enters with Luka Doncic at the peak of his career. Doncic's 2025 FIBA World Cup performance (a 32-point average in qualifying matches) was the tournament's most statistically dominant showing.

Doncic's Los Angeles Lakers elimination from the 2025 NBA playoffs in the Conference Finals (by the Oklahoma City Thunder) has been described by Slovenia's federation as "actually helpful" for the EuroBasket campaign, giving Doncic additional rest and preparation time. The rest of the Slovenian squad, while lacking Doncic's individual brilliance, includes Mike Tobey, Vlatko Cancar and Edo Muric — sufficient supporting talent for deep tournament runs.

Spain's Rebuild

Spain, which won four EuroBasket titles between 2009 and 2017 in the Pau Gasol-Juan Carlos Navarro era, has been rebuilding under head coach Sergio Scariolo. The 2024 Olympic Games saw Spain fail to reach the semifinals for the first time since 2004. Since then, the federation has prioritized developing a new generation around Alex Abrines, Santi Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (unsigned), and 20-year-old Juan Nunez (who joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2025).

Scariolo's contract runs through 2026, and his retention has been debated within Spanish basketball circles. EuroBasket 2025 will likely determine his future. The federation has also been linked to potential hires of former NBA assistant coaches Pablo Prigioni and Pablo Laso, either of whom would require Spanish basketball federation approval.

Greece's Giannis

Greece, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), has been a tournament favorite when the Bucks star is available. Antetokounmpo's international participation has been inconsistent — he did not play in the 2022 EuroBasket due to Milwaukee's playoff run, but he participated in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the 2024 Olympics.

His 2025 availability is confirmed, contingent on Milwaukee's early playoff elimination (which, based on the team's current standing, is likely). Giannis's brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), has also committed to the Greek squad. The Giannis-Thanasis pairing, combined with Kostas Sloukas (Panathinaikos), Dimitris Flevarakis (Panathinaikos), and Dinos Mitoglou (Panathinaikos), gives Greece one of the tournament's strongest cohesive squads.

Croatia's Mario Hezonja Era

Croatia, absent from major championship semifinals since 2010, has assembled a squad around Mario Hezonja (Real Madrid), Roko Prkacin (Fenerbahce), and Krunoslav Simon (Virtus Bologna). Head coach Josip Sesar, a former player, has focused on tactical discipline over individual talent — an approach that contrasts with the more star-driven structures of Germany, Serbia and Slovenia.

Croatia's 2025 preparation has included friendly matches against Germany, Slovenia and Spain. The team won two of the three, with the loss to Germany coming in overtime. Hezonja, 30, has been the team's emotional leader and most consistent offensive producer.

Tournament Format

EuroBasket 2025 features 24 teams in six groups of four. The top two finishers from each group advance to the round of 16, with the tournament's remaining bracket following standard single-elimination format. Group-stage matches will be played August 27 to September 4. The knockout round runs September 6 to 14, with the final scheduled for September 14 at Nokia Arena in Helsinki.

The Nokia Arena final will be Finland's first major basketball event of the 2020s. The venue, opened in 2021, has a capacity of 13,500 for basketball events. Tournament organizers have projected a combined attendance of 350,000 across all venues, with 60,000 expected for the final.

Media Rights and Television

EuroSport retains EuroBasket 2025 broadcasting rights across Europe, with additional streaming coverage via Discovery+ in selected markets. FIBA's global distribution covers more than 150 territories, reaching an estimated 400 million viewers cumulatively. The 2025 tournament's commercial value has been estimated at $180 million in combined broadcast and sponsorship revenue, a 23 percent increase from EuroBasket 2022.

FIBA's partnership with Nike, renewed in 2023 for eight years, has elevated the tournament's apparel sponsorship revenue. Nike's competition kits for all 24 teams represent the largest apparel contract in the history of international basketball competition.