Basketball: Real Madrid Win EuroLeague for Record 11th Time

Spanish club Real Madrid claim another EuroLeague basketball title, further cementing their status as Europe's premier basketball dynasty.

Thirteen Stars, Eleven Titles: Real Madrid's Basketball Dynasty Rolls On

Real Madrid claimed their record eleventh EuroLeague basketball title in May 2026, defeating Olympiacos Piraeus in a closely contested Final Four final that required overtime to separate the two sides. The victory, celebrated with characteristic emotion in Madrid's WiZink Center before a capacity crowd, extended the Spanish club's position as the most successful team in European basketball history and continued a dynasty that has made them the standard against which all other clubs in the continent measure themselves.

The EuroLeague season had produced several outstanding performances and memorable games, with Real Madrid overcoming significant injury challenges to key players to navigate the playoff rounds. The team's depth, coaching sophistication under Chus Mateo, and institutional culture of performance under pressure — the same qualities that distinguish Real Madrid's football operation — have created a basketball programme that consistently produces more from its roster than the sum of its individual parts suggests.

Olympiacos, representing Greece's most storied basketball tradition, gave their Spanish rivals a genuine test throughout the final. The game was tied at the end of regulation following a dramatic fourth quarter comeback by the Greek side, and the overtime period featured several lead changes before Real Madrid's superior fitness and composure in high-pressure moments ultimately told. Greek international forward Thomas Walkup delivered an outstanding individual performance that was insufficient to deliver the trophy but confirmed his status as one of EuroLeague's most complete players.