The Business End of The EuroLeague – Is it Still as Competitive As Ever?

Yes, the EuroLeague definitely does still have the competitive as ever argument. We think people like to judge it because it isn't the big-shot fame of the NBA in the US, but if you love basketball, then you'll know the EuroLeague produces some of the best players. Slovenian-born Luka Doncic is the prime example of this. Luka grew through the Real Madrid team and shone in the EuroLeague before moving to the NBA, where he now plays for the Lakers.

And it's more than the players; it's the game. It doesn't matter where in the world it's being played; it's still one of the most competitive, rapid-movement games in sports.

Read on to find out more.

Competition Format and Structure

There are so many reasons we could give as to why the EuroLeague is still thriving. The season expanded to 20 teams, added Dubai Basketball, kept the Play-In Showdown, and finished with a Final Four featuring Olympiacos, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, and Valencia Basket in 2026.

Olympiacos beat Real Madrid 92–85 in the championship game on 24 May 2026, ending a 13-year wait for the club's fourth EuroLeague title. If you watched that game, there's no doubt in your mind that the EuroLeague is competitive.

The 2025–26 EuroLeague regular season had 20 teams, each playing 38 regular-season games from 30 September 2025 to 17 April 2026. The top 6 qualified directly for the playoffs, and teams ranked 7th to 10th entered the Play-In Showdown.

There's no fall-off after the first 6 teams, and the League is alive with competition, whether your team is 2nd or 10th in the League.

Final Four and Champion

The 2026 Final Four was held in Athens from 22 to 24 May 2026. Olympiacos beat Fenerbahce 79–61 in one semi final, and Real Madrid beat Valencia Basket 105–90 in the other. We've already said how the final went down, but it wasn't even necessarily the final that was the best. All of the semi-finals were so tense, and every team played with every ounce of competition in them.

Viewership for the Men's Final Four averaged 14.2 million, up 11% from 2024, so it's not like people aren't interested in the competition, and the increase in viewership shows how the league is still as competitive as ever, if not more.

The competition within the teams really showed during the Final Four. Real Madrid were missing major players, including Edy Tavares, Usman Garuba and Alex Len, but still managed to push Olympiacos deep into the game.

Top-Performing Teams

Some big-name teams in the EuroLeague are keeping the competition alive:

• Olympiacos: They're the obvious standout team. They finished as the top regular-season side, had Sasha Vezenkov as the league MVP and top scorer, then won the title. Their performance in the final was outstanding.

• Real Madrid: They're the benchmark heavyweight, and we think they always will be. Even with injuries, they reached another final and beat Valencia easily in the semifinal. Their 105–90 semifinal win was incredible.

• Valencia Basket: Valencia is the best example of the league's range. 3 years ago, people wouldn't have put them at the top of the league, but by the end of the last season, they reached their first men's EuroLeague Final Four after a 3–2 playoff series win over Panathinaikos. That win proved that the competition isn't just for the big league giants like Madrid and Olympiacos.

The competition these teams bring to the league is truly incredible. If you look on the SA sports betting market, you'll always see these teams with the odds favoring them to win.

Top Performing Competitive Players in the EuroLeague

The players make the league, and they're the reason why so many people still watch the games every week.

Sasha Vezenkov, who plays for Olympiacos, is the main man of the season. He was named 2025–26 EuroLeague MVP, won the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy, and led the league in PIR. Official stats listed him at 19.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 23.4 PIR per game during the season. His stats are incredible.

Evan Fournier, again, another Olympiacos player, was named 2026 Final Four MVP after helping Olympiacos win the title. Fournier was the late-stage closer who really helped solidify the Olympiacos side and secure the win.

Jean Montero, who plays for Valencia, is worth including because he represents the next-generation storyline. He was listed as the EuroLeague Rising Star and was central to Valencia's breakthrough season.

Other great names include:

• Nikola Milutinov

• Sylvain Francisco

• Elijah Bryant

• Kendrick Nunn

• Mike James

• Nadir Hifi

• Codi Miller-McIntyre

Milutinov, Bryant, Francisco and Mike James among the top PIR names, and the scoring list included Kendrick Nunn, Nadir Hifi and Vezenkov near the top.

So, yes, the EuroLeague is definitely still as competitive as ever, and we'd go as far to say it's more competitive than ever. Ask any fan or sports pundit, and they'll agree. Now it's time for summer break, but it won't be long until we see what the next season brings.