Patryk Stachowiak
The 2026 EuroLeague Final Four is officially set, with Olympiacos Piraeus, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, Real Madrid, and Valencia Basket heading to Athens for the most important weekend in European club basketball.
The tournament will take place from May 22-24, 2026, at the Telekom Center Athens in Marousi, Greece. This edition marks the 69th season of Europe’s premier basketball competition and the 41st Final Four tournament overall. It will also become the first EuroLeague Final Four without a third-place game.
Defending champions Fenerbahce return looking to repeat their Abu Dhabi triumph from last season, while Olympiacos aim to finally turn years of consistency into another European crown on home soil. Real Madrid continue their pursuit of a record-extending 12th title, and Valencia arrive as the tournament’s historic underdogs after reaching their first-ever Final Four.
2026 EuroLeague Final Four schedule
Semifinal A
Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Match: Olympiacos vs Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
Time: 17:00 CEST
Venue: Telekom Center Athens, Marousi, Greece
Semifinal B
Date: Friday, May 22, 2026
Match: Real Madrid vs Valencia Basket
Time: 20:00 CEST
Venue: Telekom Center Athens, Marousi, Greece
Championship Game
Date: Sunday, May 24, 2026
Match: Winners of Semifinal A vs Winners of Semifinal B
Time: 20:00 CEST
Venue: Telekom Center Athens, Marousi, Greece
Athens hosts a loaded Final Four
The Greek capital provides a fitting backdrop for this year’s tournament. Olympiacos reached the Final Four for a fifth consecutive season after sweeping AS Monaco 3-0 in the playoffs, becoming the first club to book their ticket to Athens.
Real Madrid followed after eliminating Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1, while Fenerbahce secured qualification by defeating Zalgiris Kaunas 3-1 in a dramatic series that included an overtime thriller in Game 4.
Valencia completed the bracket with one of the greatest comebacks in modern EuroLeague playoff history. The Spanish side recovered from a 0-2 deficit against Panathinaikos to win the series 3-2, becoming only the second team ever to overturn that margin in a best-of-five format.
Now, all four clubs sit just two victories away from lifting the continent’s biggest prize.
Olympiacos chasing history at home
Top-seeded Olympiacos enter Athens carrying both pressure and momentum. Despite becoming one of Europe’s most consistent clubs in recent years, the Greek giants have not lifted the EuroLeague trophy since back-to-back triumphs in 2012 and 2013.
This current roster possesses enormous Final Four experience. The squad combined for 70 Final Four appearances entering the weekend, led by Sasha Vezenkov, Kostas Papanikolaou, and Nikola Milutinov.
Vezenkov arrives in Athens after another sensational campaign. The two-time EuroLeague MVP led the league in scoring with 19.2 points per game and also posted the best performance index rating at 22.7 PIR. Yet despite 302 EuroLeague appearances, he still searches for his first championship.
Olympiacos dominated statistically throughout the season, leading the competition in scoring (90.7 points per game), assists (21.7 per game), and overall team PIR (110.5).
However, history does not favor them entirely. No No. 1 seed has won the EuroLeague title since the 2016-17 season.
Fenerbahce remain the team to beat
Standing in Olympiacos’ path are defending champions Fenerbahce, arguably the most balanced team left in the competition.
Sarunas Jasikevicius’ side arrives in Athens with nine players from last season’s championship-winning roster. Fenerbahce built their success on elite defense, finishing first in the EuroLeague by allowing just 0.97 points per possession while holding opponents to a league-best 32 percent shooting from three-point range.
Veteran guard Nando De Colo once again anchors the team’s leadership group. The French star owns two EuroLeague titles, 10 Final Four appearances, and two Olympic silver medals with France.
Fenerbahce also received a boost ahead of the Final Four with the returns of Devon Hall, Nicolo Melli, and Mikael Jantunen after recent injury absences.
Real Madrid’s pedigree meets Valencia’s Cinderella run
The second semifinal features an all-Spanish showdown between Real Madrid and Valencia Basket.
Real Madrid remain the most successful club in EuroLeague history with 11 championships and once again bring one of the competition’s deepest and most experienced rosters.
Sergio Llull continues to define longevity at the elite European level. The 36-year-old guard enters Athens with 20 Final Four appearances and three EuroLeague titles. Facundo Campazzo, Mario Hezonja, and Gabriel Deck provide additional star power and experience.
The biggest concern for Los Blancos is the absence of defensive anchor Edy Tavares, who misses the tournament through a knee injury. His absence leaves a major hole in Madrid’s frontcourt defense and rebounding.
Meanwhile, Valencia embrace the underdog role after producing the story of the playoffs.
The club’s resurgence has been driven by 22-year-old Dominican guard Jean Montero, who exploded during the postseason and earned EuroLeague Playoffs MVP honors. Montero averaged 13.7 points per game this season and became the first Valencia player ever selected to the All-EuroLeague First Team.
Real Madrid lead the season series against Valencia 4-2, but momentum and confidence now belong firmly to the tournament debutants.
Why the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four matters
The EuroLeague Final Four consistently delivers one of the most intense weekends in world basketball outside the NBA postseason. Four elite clubs, passionate fanbases, tactical battles, and championship pressure create an atmosphere unmatched in European sports.
This year’s edition adds even more intrigue. Olympiacos have home-court energy and unfinished business. Fenerbahce chase back-to-back titles. Real Madrid seek another chapter in their legendary history. Valencia look to complete a fairytale run nobody expected.
By Sunday night in Athens, one team will stand alone as kings of European basketball.
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