THE EUROLEAGUE
Europe's premier top-tier professional men's basketball club competition, featuring 20 elite clubs across Europe and the Middle East in a double round-robin format culminating in the Final Four.
LEAGUE OVERVIEW & METRICS
Organized by Euroleague Basketball, the EuroLeague is the second-most popular professional basketball league globally behind the NBA, boasting an average attendance of over 10,383 fans per game. Expanded to 20 teams in 2025–26, the league incorporates a 10-year €630M commercial joint venture with IMG and main partnership agreements with Etihad Airways and Experience Abu Dhabi.
HISTORICAL ERAS & EVOLUTION
FIBA European Champions Cup Era
Inaugurated in Dec 1957 by FIBA, won first by Rīgas ASK (3-peat). Final Four format introduced in 1987–88. Jugoplastika Split achieved historic 3-peat (1989–91). Real Madrid dominated early decades winning 8 titles.
The 2000 Split & SuproLeague
Disagreement over commercial rights led ULEB to form Euroleague Basketball while FIBA ran FIBA SuproLeague. 2000–01 saw two champions: Maccabi Tel Aviv (SuproLeague) and Kinder Bologna (ULEB). Leagues merged under Euroleague in May 2001.
ULEB & Licensing Structure
Introduced 3-year A-Licenses for top clubs regardless of domestic league standings. Panathinaikos, CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel Aviv, and Olympiacos established modern dominance. EuroCup created as 2nd tier in 2002.
True League Era & Middle East Growth
Transitioned to a true 16/18/20 team double round-robin league with 10-year €630M IMG partnership. Middle East expansion saw Abu Dhabi host 2025 Final Four and Dubai Basketball join on 5-year license through 2030.
2026–27 CLUBS BY REGIONAL GROUPS
Spain (4 Clubs)
Greece & Turkey (5 Clubs)
Serbia & Italy (4 Clubs)
Middle East (3 Clubs)
France & Germany (3 Clubs)
Lithuania (1 Club)
LEAGUE FORMAT & LICENSING
🔄 Double Round-Robin Format
20 teams play each opponent twice (home and away) over a 38-game regular season. Top 8 advance to playoffs. Maximum of 45 total games per team per season.
🏆 Playoffs & Neutral Final Four
Top 8 teams play 5-game playoff series with higher seeds holding home-court advantage. 4 winners advance to the single-weekend neutral site Final Four (Semis + Final).
🔑 Shareholder Board & 3-Year Licenses
Governed by 13 Shareholder Clubs. Additional 3-year licenses granted to Partizan, Crvena zvezda, Virtus Bologna, Valencia, and 5-year license to Dubai Basketball (until 2030).
ALL-TIME CHAMPIONS & RECENT FINALS
Clubs Championship Leaderboard
| Club / Team | Titles Won | Runner-Up | Championship Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid (Spain) | 11 Titles | 11 | 1964, '65, '67, '68, '74, '78, '80, '95, 2015, '18, '23 |
| CSKA Moscow (Russia/USSR) | 8 Titles | 6 | 1961, 1963, 1969, 1971, 2006, 2008, 2016, 2019 |
| Panathinaikos (Greece) | 7 Titles | 1 | 1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2024 |
| Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel) | 6 Titles | 9 | 1977, 1981, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2014 |
| Varese (Italy) | 5 Titles | 5 | 1970, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976 |
| Olympiacos (Greece) | 4 Titles | 6 | 1997, 2012, 2013, 2026 |
| Olimpia Milano / Split / Rīgas ASK | 3 Titles Each | 1–2 each | Milano ('66, '87, '88) | Split ('89, '90, '91) | Rīgas ('58, '59, '60) |
Recent EuroLeague Finals Results (2020–2026)
| Season | Champion | Final Score | Runner-Up | Final Four Host City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Olympiacos (Greece) | 92–85 | Real Madrid (Spain) | Abu Dhabi (UAE) |
| 2024–25 | Fenerbahçe Beko (Turkey) | 81–70 | AS Monaco (France) | Abu Dhabi (UAE) |
| 2023–24 | Panathinaikos AKTOR (Greece) | 95–80 | Real Madrid (Spain) | Berlin (Germany) |
| 2022–23 | Real Madrid (Spain) | 79–78 | Olympiacos (Greece) | Kaunas (Lithuania) |
| 2021–22 | Anadolu Efes (Turkey) | 58–57 | Real Madrid (Spain) | Belgrade (Serbia) |
| 2020–21 | Anadolu Efes (Turkey) | 86–81 | FC Barcelona (Spain) | Cologne (Germany) |
| 2019–20 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | |||
CAREER STATISTICAL LEADERS (2000–PRESENT)
🏀 All-Time Points Leader
Mike James (USA) holds the all-time scoring record with 5,916 career points and highest accumulated PIR (6,181 index rating points).
🛡️ Rebounds & Blocks Leader
Edy Tavares (Cape Verde) holds the all-time records in rebounds (2,135) and blocked shots (544 blocks).
🎯 Assists & Steals Leader
Nick Calathes (Greece) leads all-time in assists (2,266 assists) and total steals (487 steals).
GLOBAL MEDIA & SPONSORSHIPS
📺 Global Broadcast Coverage
Broadcast into 201+ territories worldwide and reaching over 245M households in China. Televised in the US via ESPN networks & FanDuel TV, alongside official OTT streaming platform EuroLeague TV.
🤝 Etihad Airways & Abu Dhabi Deal
Following a 15-year naming deal with Turkish Airlines (2010–2025), EuroLeague signed a 4-year partnership with Etihad Airways & Abu Dhabi Dept of Culture & Tourism as presenting partners.
🏟️ Attendance World Records
Official single-game seated attendance record was set on March 5, 2009, when 22,567 spectators filled the Belgrade Arena for Partizan vs Panathinaikos.