A Night of Upsets and Breakouts in Sofia
In a tightly contested final held in Sofia, Slovenia edged out Italy 88‑71 to capture their maiden U18 EuroBasket championship, a breakthrough that marks a new era for the nation's basketball pipeline.
Stefan Joksimovic was the catalyst, pouring in 24 points and earning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award after averaging 23.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists throughout the competition.
His supporting cast proved equally potent; Lukas Bojovic added 21 points, while a balanced offensive attack kept Italy’s defense scrambling.
The All‑Star Five, announced after the game, featured Joksimovic alongside Italy’s Papa Cheickh Niang, France’s Hugo Yigma, Spain’s Diego Niebla, Germany’s Leonard Kroger and a second Slovenian star, underscoring the tournament’s continental talent pool.
France, the defending runners‑up, rebounded to claim third place with a 74‑69 victory over Spain, a result that cements their status as a perennial podium contender.
The top five finishers — Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain and Germany — have secured berths at the 2027 FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup, with Germany clinching the final slot by defeating Greece 99‑69.
Meanwhile, the promotion race from Division B saw the Netherlands, Poland and Belgium ascend to the elite Division A, displacing Latvia, Slovakia and Bulgaria for the upcoming season.