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EuroBasket Champions: Countries with the Most European Basketball Titles

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Trophy of EuroBasket before the 2022 final between Spain and Germany

The European Basketball Championship (EuroBasket) has long been one of the most prestigious and competitive national team tournaments. So far, 14 countries have won the championship title, while 20 have earned at least one medal. Discover which national team holds the most European titles in basketball, and at the end of the article, see a full list of all medal winners.

9) COUNTRIES WITH 1 TITLE

Latvia, Egypt, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Russia, France, and Slovenia have each won one European Championship title.

The champion of the first EuroBasket in 1935 was Latvia, which defeated Spain in the final. The inaugural tournament was held in Geneva, and interestingly, no trophies or medals were awarded.

If you’re wondering how an African team like Egypt has a European Championship title, the question is understandable. Egypt participated in the European championship four times (1937, 1947, 1949, and 1953). At that time, FIBA did not have strict rules regarding continental boundaries, and Egypt faced no serious competition in Africa, so the “Pharaohs” found themselves at the European tournament. In Prague in 1947, they won bronze, and two years later, on home soil in Cairo, they took advantage of the absence of the USSR and several strong teams to beat France and claim gold.ž

Czechoslovakia is, along with Spain, the country with the most losses in EuroBasket finals—six in total. Of their 12 medals, only one was gold, won at the first post-war EuroBasket in 1946 in Geneva.

The 1955 European Championship in Budapest was the first to use rubber balls. In these conditions, the host team Hungary performed best, supported by massive crowds (over 40,000 spectators in some games), winning their first and so far only title.

Russia, as part of the Soviet Union, was a dominant force in European basketball, but had to wait until 2007 to win gold independently, shocking Spain in Madrid. Everything was set for a Spanish celebration, but naturalized guard JR Holden scored in the final seconds to give Russia a historic victory.

For France, EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia remains unforgettable. Led by the legendary Tony Parker, they defeated the favored Spaniards in the semifinals, and the final against Lithuania was a relatively easier task.

On the wings of Goran Dragić and the young Luka Dončić, along with the help of naturalized player Anthony Randolph, Slovenia’s basketball team reached the pinnacle of Europe in 2017 in Istanbul. In the semifinals, they defeated Spain by 20 points, and in the final, Slovenia triumphed over Serbia.

6) GERMANY – 2 TITLES

Perhaps the biggest surprise in modern EuroBasket history was Germany’s gold medal in 1993. The Germans took advantage of playing at home and the absence of the FR Yugoslavia team, which could not participate due to sanctions. Still, the team, led from the bench by the legendary Svetislav “Kari” Pešić, reached the quarterfinals despite three earlier losses. From that point on, Spain, Greece, and Russia fell one by one, paving the way for Germany’s first gold.

Germany won their second European Championship title in 2025 in Riga, defeating Turkey in the final. With this victory, the German basketball team unified both the world and European titles. The team’s key players were Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, but the hero of the final match was Isaac Bonga, who at the time played for Partizan.

6) GREECE – 2 TITLES

Greece won its first European Championship title in 1987 on the wings of the brilliant Nikos Galis. In the semifinals, he scored 30 points against Yugoslavia, and then led his team to triumph over the Soviet Union in the final with 40 points after overtime. An average of 37 points per game speaks volumes about how much this was, above all, Galis’s title.

Greece claimed their second title in Belgrade in 2005, when a thriller against France in the semifinals was decided by Diamantidis. They convincingly defeated Germany, led by Dirk Nowitzki, in the final (78–62).

6) ITALY – 2 TITLES

The Italians won their first EuroBasket title in 1983 in Nantes, defeating Spain in the final.

They had to wait for another gold until 1999, when France again proved to be their lucky charm. This time, the final was held in Paris, and their opponent was once again Spain. Earlier, in the semifinals, they had eliminated the back-to-back champions, the team of FR Yugoslavia. Gregor Fučka was named the tournament’s MVP.

4) LITHUANIA – 3 TITLES

The Lithuanians won their first two gold medals in the early years of the EuroBasket – 1937 and 1939. After that, Lithuanian basketball players contributed significantly for years to the successes of the Soviet national team.

They had to wait for a new gold under the name Lithuania until the championship held in Sweden in 2003. At that time, Jasekivičius, Macijauskas, Štombergas, and the rest of the team stepped onto the stage and defeated a powerful Spain in the final.

4) SERBIA – 3 TITLES

After the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia and Montenegro continued the competition and medal-winning tradition under the name of FR Yugoslavia. In their very first participation after the sanctions were lifted, the “Blues” won gold by triumphing over Lithuania in an unforgettable final in Athens in 1995.

Two years later, in Barcelona, Yugoslavia defended their title by defeating Italy in the final. On the road to gold, tournament MVP Saša Đorđević nailed a buzzer-beating three-pointer against Croatia, avenging their famous podium exit at the previous championship in Athens.

One of the most dominant titles ever won was surely in 2001. Under the guidance of Svetislav Pesic, Yugoslavia “crushed” their opponents, leaving no chance to anyone, including Turkey in the final in Istanbul. The tournament MVP was the brilliant Peja Stojakovic.

3) SPAIN – 4 TITLES

The European Basketball Championship had long seemed cursed for Spain, as they lost in the finals six times before winning their first title. The most painful defeat was the already mentioned 2007 loss at home to Russia. However, two years later in Poland, the “Red Fury” claimed their first trophy with a victory over Serbia.

They defended the title dominantly two years later in Lithuania. The streak was briefly interrupted by France in 2013, but Spain got their revenge on French soil in the 2015 semifinals. They then secured the new gold by defeating Lithuania by 17 points in the final.

Spain won their fourth title in 2022 in Berlin, even though few expected them to do so. The “Joker” was the naturalized point guard Lorenzo Brown, alongside the tournament MVP, Willy Hernangomez.

2) YUGOSLAVIA – 5 TITLES

After four losses in the finals, Yugoslavia won its first European Championship title in 1973 in Spain, defeating their great rival, the Soviet Union. The team was led by Krešimir Ćosić, with the core made up of the world champions from Ljubljana three years earlier, along with Dalipagić, Kićanović, and Slavnić.

Once they “broke the ice,” the Yugoslavs continued to win gold at the next two championships. In Belgrade in 1975, the best player was once again Krešimir Ćosić, while in Liège in 1977, that honor went to Dražen Dalipagić.

 

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The Yugoslavs had to wait a full 12 years for their next title when, at EuroBasket 1989 in Zagreb, the team led by Dražen Petrović captured the gold. In the tournament’s All-Star Five, alongside Petrović, were Dino Rađa and Žarko Paspalj.

Yugoslavia won its last European Championship title at the final tournament it participated in, just before the country’s breakup. In Rome in 1991, the “Blues” demonstrated their dominance even without Dražen Petrović. The tournament MVP was Toni Kukoč, and Vlade Divac was also included in the All-Star Five. It is also noted that Jure Zdovc, by directive, left the team two games before the championship ended.

1) SOVIET UNION – 14 TITLES

The most successful country in EuroBasket history in terms of titles is the Soviet Union, with 14 trophies.

They won their first title in 1947, but did not participate in the next championship held in Egypt. They then claimed gold again at the following two tournaments in 1951 and 1953.

True dominance came between 1957 and 1971, when the Soviets won eight consecutive European Championships. Yugoslavia broke this golden streak over the next three tournaments, but the Soviet team returned to claim titles at the 1979, 1981, and 1985 championships. Interestingly, the Soviet Union failed to qualify for EuroBasket 1991, finishing behind France and Czechoslovakia in their group.

All EuroBasket Medal Winners:

Year Host 🥇 🥈 🥉 Teams
1935 🇨🇭 🇱🇻 LAT 🇪🇸 ESP 🇨🇿 ČSSR 10
1937 🇱🇻 🇱🇹 LTU 🇮🇹 ITA 🇫🇷 FRA 8
1939 🇱🇹 🇱🇹 LTU 🇱🇻 LAT 🇵🇱 POL 8
1946 🇨🇭 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇮🇹 ITA 🇭🇺 HUN 10
1947 🇨🇿 SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇪🇬 EGY 14
1949 🇪🇬 🇪🇬 EGY 🇫🇷 FRA 🇬🇷 GRE 7
1951 🇫🇷 SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇫🇷 FRA 18
1953 SSSR SSSR SSSR 🇭🇺 HUN 🇨🇿 ČSSR 17
1955 🇭🇺 🇭🇺 HUN 🇨🇿 ČSSR SSSR SSSR 18
1957 🇧🇬 SSSR SSSR 🇧🇬 BUL 🇨🇿 ČSSR 16
1959 🇹🇷 SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇫🇷 FRA 17
1961 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇧🇬 BUL 19
1963 🇵🇱 SSSR SSSR 🇵🇱 POL Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 16
1965 SSSR SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇵🇱 POL 16
1967 🇫🇮 SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇵🇱 POL 16
1969 🇮🇹 SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇨🇿 ČSSR 12
1971 🇩🇪 SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇮🇹 ITA 12
1973 🇪🇸 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇪🇸 ESP SSSR SSSR 12
1975 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ SSSR SSSR 🇮🇹 ITA 12
1977 🇧🇪 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 12
1979 🇮🇹 SSSR SSSR 🇮🇱 ISR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 12
1981 🇨🇿 SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇨🇿 ČSSR 12
1983 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 ITA 🇪🇸 ESP SSSR SSSR 12
1985 🇩🇪 SSSR SSSR 🇨🇿 ČSSR 🇮🇹 ITA 12
1987 🇬🇷 🇬🇷 GRE SSSR SSSR Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 12
1989 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇬🇷 GRE SSSR SSSR 8
1991 🇮🇹 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia SFRJ 🇮🇹 ITA 🇪🇸 ESP 8
1993 🇩🇪 🇩🇪 GER 🇷🇺 RUS 🇭🇷 CRO 16
1995 🇬🇷  SRJ 🇱🇹 LTU 🇭🇷 CRO 14
1997 🇪🇸  SRJ 🇮🇹 ITA 🇷🇺 RUS 16
1999 🇫🇷 🇮🇹 ITA 🇪🇸 ESP  SRJ 16
2001 🇹🇷  SRJ 🇹🇷 TUR 🇪🇸 ESP 16
2003 🇸🇪 🇱🇹 LTU 🇪🇸 ESP 🇮🇹 ITA 16
2005 🇬🇷 GRE 🇩🇪 GER 🇫🇷 FRA 16
2007 🇪🇸 🇷🇺 RUS 🇪🇸 ESP 🇱🇹 LTU 16
2009 🇵🇱 🇪🇸 ESP 🇷🇸 SRB 🇬🇷 GRE 16
2011 🇱🇹 🇪🇸 ESP 🇫🇷 FRA 🇷🇺 RUS 24
2013 🇸🇮 🇫🇷 FRA 🇱🇹 LTU 🇪🇸 ESP 24
2015 🇫🇷🇭🇷🇩🇪🇱🇻 🇪🇸 ESP 🇱🇹 LTU 🇫🇷 FRA 24
2017 🇫🇮🇮🇱🇷🇴🇹🇷 🇸🇮 SLO 🇷🇸 SRB 🇪🇸 ESP 24
2022 🇨🇿🇬🇪🇮🇹🇩🇪 🇪🇸 ESP 🇫🇷 FRA 🇩🇪 GER 24
2025 🇨🇾🇫🇮🇱🇻🇵🇱 🇩🇪 GER 🇹🇷 TUR 🇬🇷 GRE 24
2029 🇪🇪🇬🇷🇸🇮🇪🇸 🥇 ??? 🥈 ??? 🥉 ??? 24

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