EuroLeague Basketball, the organizer of top European club competitions, has announced United Arab Emirates’ capital Abu Dhabi as the debut host of its new annual men’s SuperCup tournament.
In a deal struck with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism (DCT), EuroLeague Basketball will stage its inaugural edition at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, on September 18 and 19, one week before the 2026-27 EuroLeague competition starts.
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The deal was brokered by international sports marketing agency IMG, EuroLeague Basketball’s strategic commercial partner.
Dejan Bodiroga, president of EuroLeague Basketball, said: “The launch of the EuroLeague Basketball SuperCup marks an exciting new chapter for European club basketball.
“We are delighted to partner with DCT Abu Dhabi for the inaugural edition of this competition, which will bring together some of the most successful clubs to celebrate the start of a new season.
“Abu Dhabi has demonstrated a strong commitment to basketball and to delivering exceptional international sporting events, making it the ideal stage for this new competition."
The tournament will serve as the official opening event of the top-tier EuroLeague competition and will feature four top-tier teams playing in a knockout format comprising two semifinal matches, a third-place playoff, and a championship final.
The 2026 SuperCup will feature incumbent EuroLeague champions Olympiacos Piraeus, 2025 EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul, 2026 finalist Real Madrid, and Dubai Basketball, which will represent the host country.
Olympiacos Piraeus will play Fenerbahce Tarfin Istanbul before Dubai Basketball faces Real Madrid on September 18, while September 19 will feature the third-place game and the final.
The agreement builds on Euroleague Basketball’s long-term partnership with Abu Dhabi’s DCT, which saw the city become the first city outside Europe to host the 2025 edition of the season-ending Final Four tournament.
His Excellency Saleh Mohamed Al Geziry, Director General for Tourism at the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, said: “The first edition of the EuroLeague Basketball SuperCup is another milestone in Abu Dhabi's long-term partnership with EuroLeague Basketball and reflects our shared ambition to grow the game while creating world-class experiences for fans.
“As we continue to expand our international sporting calendar, events such as the SuperCup play an important role in inspiring the next generation of players and bringing global audiences to Abu Dhabi."
The launch of the SuperCup comes as Euroleague Basketball continues to implement its plan to transform its competitions, having expanded its top-tier competition from 18 to 20 teams in the 2025-26 season.
Last month, the organization officially launched the process to award up to eight long-term franchises for the 2027-28 season as part of its long-term strategic plan to expand the league further to 24 teams.
Euroleague Basketball said its franchise process has generated “exceptional interest” before the official opening, with the body revealing it has received more than 20 formal proposals at the established valuation levels.
The league expects the €1.2 billion figure to continue increasing as the process advances.
In parallel with the franchise application process, EuroLeague Basketball is advancing with plans to convert the 13 existing shareholder licenses into long-term franchises, a process that is expected to be completed during the 2026-27 season.
The conversion will be carried out without any associated franchise or entry fee, due to their “longstanding commitment and contribution to the league.”
Interest has come from both existing EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, as well as new projects seeking to join the competition. In particular, EuroLeague Basketball has received multiple proposals from investors and projects based in Rome, Berlin, and London.
