EuroLeague Basketball announced on Monday, February 2, the traditional Final Four third-place match will be scrapped and replaced by the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Championship Game. The 2026 Final Four will be held in Athens, with the semifinals on May 22 and the championship on May 24.
The decision comes after years of criticism from coaches and players who questioned the relevance and intensity of the consolation match.
Tickets for the Athens Final Four will be released in four public phases to meet exceptionally high demand. Fans who purchased tickets to previous Final Fours will receive exclusive early access on February 10, with the first public phase opening on February 11. Each phase includes a limited allocation across multiple price points, ranging from €399 ($470) to €952 ($1,122).
The EuroLeague emphasized that each fan may purchase a maximum of four tickets per stage, and that unsold tickets can only be resold through the official fan-to-fan marketplace at the original purchase price. VIP hospitality packages will also be available during the early sales stages.
From a basketball perspective, the removal of third place aligns with trends in elite leagues. Coaches have argued that a consolation game often lacks competitive intensity, as teams that fall short in the semifinals struggle to motivate themselves for a non-championship match.
The 2025-2026 EuroLeague season was highly competitive, with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul leading the standings at 17-7, followed closely by Olympiacos Piraeus and Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv at 16-8. Valencia Basket, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona all have 16–9 records.
EuroLeague’s tiered ticketing approach allows fans to secure seats after the regular season, during final roster confirmation, and even just before the Play-In Showdown, when the top ten teams remain in contention.
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