EuroLeague Basketball introduced on Monday, February 2, that the normal Remaining 4 third-place sport will probably be eliminated, changed by the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Championship Sport. The 2026 Remaining 4 will probably be held in Athens, with semifinals on Could 22 and the championship tipping off on Could 24.
The choice comes after years of criticism from coaches and gamers who questioned the relevance and depth of the comfort match.
Tickets for the Athens Remaining 4 will probably be launched in 4 public phases to fulfill exceptionally excessive demand. Followers who bought tickets for earlier Remaining Fours will get unique early entry on February 10, with the primary public section opening on February 11. Every section will embrace a restricted allocation throughout a number of value classes, starting from €399 ($470) to €952 ($1,122).
The EuroLeague emphasised that every fan could buy a most of 4 tickets per section, and unsold tickets might be resold solely via the official fan-to-fan market on the unique buy value. VIP hospitality packages will even be out there throughout early gross sales phases.
From a basketball perspective, eradicating the third-place sport aligns with traits in elite competitions. Coaches have argued {that a} comfort sport typically lacks aggressive depth, as groups that fall quick within the semifinals wrestle to encourage themselves for a non-championship matchup.
The 2025–26 EuroLeague season has been extremely aggressive, with Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul main the standings at 17–7, adopted intently by Olympiacos Piraeus and Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv at 16–8. Valencia Basket, Actual Madrid, and FC Barcelona all maintain 16–9 data.
EuroLeague’s phased ticketing method will enable followers to safe seats after the common season, throughout remaining roster confirmations, and even near the Play-In Showdown, when the highest ten groups stay in competition.
