In a pivotal meeting held today, EuroLeague executives voted in favor of expanding the competition from 18 to 20 teams, marking a significant shift in the structure of Europe's top-tier basketball league. The decision was officially confirmed with the announcement: “The Board approved the proposal to expand the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague to 20 teams beginning with the 2025–26 season.”

Beginning with the 2025–26 campaign, Valencia and Dubai BC are expected to join the revamped lineup, alongside returning clubs from the previous season — with one notable exception: ALBA Berlin, which has transitioned to the Basketball Champions League. Additionally, Hapoel Tel Aviv, as the EuroCup champions, will also secure a spot.

Despite the expansion, the round-robin format will remain intact. To accommodate the longer schedule, more double-game weeks will be introduced. However, the league will not pause for FIBA international windows, adding further strain to the already complex relationship between the EuroLeague and FIBA.

Under the new framework, wildcard entrants such as Valencia and Dubai BC will be granted three-year licenses, ensuring medium-term stability. Hapoel Tel Aviv, meanwhile, will receive a one-year entry based on sporting merit. Final decisions regarding the future of clubs like Paris and Dubai are still pending, given their strategic market importance and broader implications for European basketball.

This expansion comes just two days after high-level discussions between FIBA, the NBA, and EuroLeague officials in Geneva, further highlighting the growing tensions surrounding the future structure of basketball on the continent. The inclusion of Dubai, a move explicitly ruled out in the NBA’s own European strategies, suggests deeper fractures in the collaborative ambitions of the sport’s key stakeholders.

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