Lithuania, Spain, Greece, and Slovenia are emerging as strong favorites to host the EuroBasket 2029.
As preparations continue for the EuroBasket 2025, the host countries for the upcoming tournament are beginning to take shape.
According to Lukas Katilius from BasketNews, Lithuania, Spain, Greece, and Slovenia are emerging as strong favorites to host the EuroBasket 2029.
In December 2024, FIBA announced that eight countries had submitted bids to host the tournament: Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Germany, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain. By March, the list had narrowed to seven after Germany withdrew its candidacy.
It remains unclear in which Lithuanian city the games would take place. The two main options are the Twinsbet Arena in Vilnius and the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas.
The location of the final stage is still uncertain. According to BasketNews sources, the Spanish and Greek basketball federations are engaged in fierce competition for the hosting rights.
Spain has expressed interest in organizing both the group stage and the knockout rounds. Spanish Basketball Federation president Elisa Aguilar confirmed it to BasketNews on Thursday in Riga.
"We're preparing our presentation, which we'll present here in Riga in May," Aguilar told BasketNews. "Then we'll see what happens. We really want to be selected and are working hard on this project."
Spain plans to host its group-stage games at the Movistar Arena in Madrid, the home venue for Real Madrid's ACB and EuroLeague games.
However, the Spanish bid includes a unique proposal: hosting basketball games at the iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
"This would be the first time basketball games are played at the Santiago Bernabéu, one of the world's top stadiums," Aguilar stated.
The stadium, home to Real Madrid's football club, has a seating capacity of over 78,000.
This wouldn't be the first time a EuroBasket game is held in a football stadium – France adapted the Pierre Mauroy Stadium (50,000 seats) for basketball during the 2015 tournament.
Meanwhile, Greece plans to host knockout-stage games at OAKA Arena in Athens, the home of Panathinaikos, which seats 18,300.
The venue underwent renovations last summer, with new seating and a modern LED court installed.
The FIBA Europe board will vote on the host countries for EuroBasket 2029 on May 23 in Riga.
