Europe’s leading U18 teams, including champions Zalgiris Kaunas U18 and Real Madrid U18, will compete starting February 27.
Abu Dhabi: Eight of Europe’s top U18 basketball teams will compete as the NextGen EuroLeague season takes place in Abu Dhabi from February 27 to March 1 at the state-of-the-art Space42 Arena.
Defending continental champion Zalgiris Kaunas U18 and record-winning Real Madrid U18 will headline the qualifying tournament, with the winner earning a spot at the adidas NextGen Finals during the EuroLeague Final Four in Athens, Greece.
The other teams competing in Abu Dhabi include U18 Aris Thessaloniki U18, U18 AS Monaco U18, U18 Dubai Basketball, U18 Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi, U18 London Lions U18, and U18 Valencia Basket U18.
U18 Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana U18 has already secured a place at the Finals after winning the Ulm event. Winners of the Bologna (March 13–15) and Belgrade (March 20–22) qualifiers will also advance to Athens.
Two groups
The eight teams will be split into two groups of four, competing in a round-robin format within their groups. The top teams from each group will face off in the championship game on Sunday, March 1, while placement games will determine the remaining standings.
U18 Aris Thessaloniki U18 is participating in the tournament for the third consecutive season. The Greek side finished seventh at NextGen Munich last year, posting a 2–2 record.
U18 Aris Thessaloniki U18 finished sixth with a 1–3 record in Abu Dhabi the year before. U18 Dubai Basketball is also competing in the NextGen for the third season; last year, the UAE side went 0–4 and placed eighth at the Ulm qualifier.
U18 Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi defeated U18 Mega Super Belgrade U18 at the NextGen Finals and nearly upset U18 EA7 Emporio Armani Milan U18, finishing with a 1–2 record. Dubai recorded a 1–3 mark as host of a 2024 qualifier, taking eighth place.
U18 AS Monaco U18 makes its second appearance in Abu Dhabi after going winless and finishing eighth in Paris 2024.
U18 Real Madrid U18 will aim to rebound from a disappointing previous season, having finished third at the Munich qualifier — ending Real’s streak of 11 consecutive qualifying tournament victories.
U18 Real Madrid U18 had won its previous 19 NextGen games dating back to the 2022 NextGen Finals in Belgrade. Real then lost to Zalgiris Kaunas U18 in the group stage at the NextGen Finals, missing the chance to secure a third consecutive championship. The Spanish powerhouse is the all-time leader in continental championships with five titles (2015, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2024) and also reached the 2014 Championship Game. This marks Real’s 19th consecutive season since 2007–08.
Making a debut
U18 London Lions U18 will make its debut in the competition, with the club also participating in the BKT EuroCup for the third time this season.
The U18 Next Gen Team Abu Dhabi is competing in its fifth season at the event and its second under two-time EuroLeague champion Dogus Balbay as head coach. Long-time Italian international Massimo Bulleri, a veteran of 126 EuroLeague games, and Kheeryoung Rhee serve as his assistants.
U18 Valencia Basket U18 is making its 10th NextGen appearance and eighth consecutive season. The Spanish team reached the Finals twice — in Vitoria-Gasteiz in 2019 and as host in 2021. Last season, Valencia finished second at the Munich tournament after three straight fifth-place finishes in the previous qualifiers.
Zalgiris Kaunas U18 has participated in every NextGen season, making this its 24th appearance. The Lithuanian powerhouse won the inaugural event in 2003, repeated in 2007, and captured the crown again last summer in Abu Dhabi. Zalgiris also reached the Championship Game in 2005, 2006, and 2011, and won the Ulm qualifier last season after finishing second in its previous three qualifying events.
