ANTWERP (Belgium) – Latvia arrive at the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026 as world champions, but the team taking the court in Antwerp will look notably different from the one that conquered Warsaw. Karlis Lasmanis, the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2026 MVP, and Francis Lacis will both be absent, leaving Nauris Miezis and Zigmars Raimo to lead a reshuffled squad into their next major challenge.

Latvia’s World Cup 2026 triumph added another glorious chapter to the country’s decorated 3×3 history. For Miezis, it also completed a remarkable collection, adding World Cup gold to his previous Olympic and Europe Cup triumphs. One of the game’s premier playmakers and shooters, the veteran remains the heartbeat of a Latvian team that knows exactly what it takes to win on the biggest stages.

That pedigree should give Latvia plenty of belief in Antwerp, even if their new-look roster will have to quickly find their rhythm. Miezis and Raimo provide the stability and continuity, while Kristaps Gludītis could prove to be an x-factor after recently helping Shibuya capture the FIBA 3×3 Kaohsiung Challenger 2026. Rihards Kuksiks completes a quartet that will be tasked with showing Latvia’s strength extends beyond the group that lifted the World Cup trophy.

There will be little time to settle in, though. Latvia have landed in a fascinating Pool C alongside Ireland and defending Europe Cup champions Lithuania. The Baltic rivals have become increasingly familiar with each other on the biggest stages, and there is unfinished business on both sides.

Lithuania defeated Latvia in the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup 2025 Final to claim the continental crown, but Latvia turned the tables at the World Cup this year, eliminating their neighbors in the Quarter-Finals. Another meeting in Antwerp adds a new chapter to the rivalry. It will also provide an immediate indication of how well Latvia can adjust without Lasmanis and Lacis.

The stakes stretch beyond another piece of silverware. The men’s FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026 winners will also book places at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2027 and FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup 2027, making every game in the compact tournament especially valuable.

Latvia therefore arrive with confidence, but also with something new to prove. They have conquered the world, and their championship pedigree is unquestioned. Now Miezis, Raimo and a refreshed supporting cast have the chance to show they can do it again with a different combination.

Can the newly crowned world champions carry their winning form into Antwerp — even without their World Cup MVP?

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 Cups tournaments throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official FIBA 3×3 website, where you can find the latest news, star players and everything you need to know. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3×3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.

Want to learn more about 3×3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3×3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3×3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.

FIBA

MIES (Switzerland) – As an exciting new season prepares to burst into action, it promises to be another incredible year for FIBA’s 3×3 basketball having re-enforced its position as one of the most thrilling urban sports worldwide during 2025.

Connecting with fans across all continents and delivering ever increasing value for partners, hosts, broadcasters and stakeholders, FIBA’s 3×3 basketball events strengthened its presence at the intersection of sport, entertainment and youth culture.

The 2025 season featured 17 stops on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, alongside 19 Challengers and 15 events on the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, which continued its upward trajectory – reinforcing the commitment to elevate women’s basketball globally.

National team competitions remained as strong digital drivers, led by the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2025, alongside continental and youth events. Meanwhile the inaugural FIBA 3×3 Champions Cup introduced a new elite competition to the annual 3×3 basketball calendar.

FIBA’s 3×3 basketball Managing Director, Alex Sanchez stated: “We are immensely proud to be able to reflect on 3×3 basketball’s best year so far and hitting unprecedented heights in these key metrics – something that highlights its ever-expanding reach. This clearly demonstrates how we continue to unlock the incredible potential of 3×3 basketball and deliver against our strategic objective of making 3×3 basketball the most thrilling urban sport in the world.

“Having recorded all-time high levels of engagement, broadcast coverage and record media value, we will now continue our journey of growth. We remain fully focused on expanding the global footprint of 3×3 basketball in 2026 and this is exciting news for players, fans, broadcasters, commercial partners, private promoters, National Federations and our other stakeholders.”

The new season 2026 will feature many highlights to look forward to throughout the 2026 calendar. These include the likes of the FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Poland during June, the latest FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series and the FIBA 3×3 World Tour which will culminate in the highly anticipated Final during December.

Media impact and sponsorship visibility proved to be the defining highlight of the season. During 2025, 3×3 basketball generated an estimated 220-290 million US dollars in total media value for sponsors, driven by social media exposure, earned media coverage and television visibility. The figures also served to underline the growing return on investment delivered by 3×3 basketball’s integrated media ecosystem.

Broadcast distribution also reached new highs, with 3×3 basketball securing partnerships that spanned all five continents. Competitions were aired across 234 territories worldwide, significantly expanding the discipline’s growing global footprint.

This was no better demonstrated than an eye-catching 48 percent increase in linear television coverage of the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2025 compared to the 2023 edition – a new peak of 418 broadcast hours having also been attained.

Surging global fan engagement as 10 million followers landmark passed

FIBA’s 3×3 basketball digital ecosystem continued to drive global visibility and deliver outstanding growth in engagement levels. This was no better underlined than by FIBA’s 3×3 basketball global social community surpassing 10 million followers for the very first time, also representing a standout 20 percent growth, year-on-year.

Across all platforms in 2025, there were 1.5 billion impressions, 1.1 billion video views and 118 million engagements to further illustrate the scale and depth of fan interaction worldwide.

Noticeably, the audience profile remains distinctly young, with approximately 70 percent falling into the 13–34 years old age bracket, a figure that underpins the powerful connection 3×3 basketball has with next-generation fans.

For more on the 2026 competition calendar, click here.

FIBA