2025 EuroBasket Final: Germany and Turkey Face Off for Gold
by Joseph King
Die Mannschaft chasing history
Germany have a chance to etch their names in the history books as we head into the 2025 EuroBasket final. They could become only the fourth ever team to hold both the World Cup and EuroBasket titles simultaneously if they are able to overcome Turkey on Sunday.
Most recently, Spain achieved the feat after winning the 2019 FIBA World Cup and the 2022 EuroBasket. Before them was Yugoslavia, who had done the double a total of four times throughout the span of 1977 to 2002. The first team to pull off the accomplishment was the Soviet Union in 1967, and they would later do it again in 1982.
Should Germany seal the deal, it would mark the country's third ever continental gold medal and their first in this competition since 1973. On the other hand, should Turkey upset the odds, it would represent the men’s basketball team’s first ever championship. They had previously come close, finishing as runners-up in EuroBasket in 2001 and runners-up in the FIBA World cup in 2010.
Continuity key in Germany’s dominance
This German team is establishing itself as the current European basketball powerhouse. They’ve now achieved a podium finish in three of the last four competitions: bronze at the 2022 EuroBasket, gold at the 2023 World Cup and guaranteed of at least a silver at the 2025 EuroBasket.
Germany are the reigning world champions and returned the same core of players that lifted the FIBA Basketball World Cup trophy in the Philippines in 2023. Nine of the 12 players that were in that squad in 2023 are in the EuroBasket squad, including the two most important players: Dennis Scroder and Franz Wagner. The duo has combined for 42.0 points per game on average, with Wagner leading the way at 21.1.
Take a look at Germany’s 2025 EuroBasket results up to the final:
| Stage | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Germany top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group B | Germany | 106-76 | Montenegro | Wagner - 22 |
| Group B | Germany | 105-83 | Sweden | Schroder - 23 |
| Group B | Germany | 107-88 | Lithuania | Schroder -26 |
| Group B | Germany | 120-57 | Great Britain | da Silva - 25 |
| Group B | Germany | 91-61 | Finland | Wagner - 23 |
| Round of 16 | Germany | 85-58 | Portugal | Schroder / Wagner - 16 |
| Quarter-finals | Germany | 99-91 | Slovenia | Wagner - 23 |
| Semi-finals | Germany | 99-86 | Finland | Schroder - 26 |
Their biggest test so far was, unsurprisingly, against Luka Doncic’s Slovenia. Doncic went off for 39 points but Germany were able to weather the storm and put forward a brilliant team effort to get the win in the end.
Sengun shining on the European stage
Like Germany, Turkey went unbeaten in the Group Stage. While Germany are in the middle of their golden age, there are signs that Turkey might be on the cusp of entering into one as well. At the heart of their success is the versatile Alperen Sengun, who has carried over the momentum from his 2024-25 All-Star NBA season over to the European stage.
Check out Turkey's tournament results so far:
| Stage | Winning team | Score | Losing team | Turkey top scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group A | Turkey | 93-73 | Latvia | Osman - 20 |
| Group A | Turkey | 92-78 | Czech Republic | Sengun - 23 |
| Group A | Turkey | 95-54 | Portugal | Sengun -20 |
| Group A | Turkey | 84-64 | Estonia | Sengun - 21 |
| Group A | Turkey | 95-90 | Serbia | Sengun - 28 |
| Round of 16 | Turkey | 85-79 | Sweden | Sengun - 24 |
| Quarter-finals | Turkey | 91-77 | Poland | Sengun - 19 |
| Semi-finals | Turkey | 94-68 | Greece | Osmani - 28 |
The biggest feather in their cap so far was beating pre-tournament favourites Serbia. This saw Sengun going up against a player that he is often likened to in the NBA: Nikola Jokic. This time, it was the young Turkish star that got the better of the three-time league MVP. Sengun put in a dominant performance and almost grabbed a triple-double with 26 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Turkey's defense did an excellent job in neutralizing Jokic, holding him to just 10 points.
MVP race: final could determine the winner
Alperen Sengun (Turkey)
NBA All-Star Alperen Sengun is likely the MVP frontrunner heading into the final. The Houston Rockets superstar is putting together a tournament for the ages and, even if Turkey loses, the award still might end up going to him. Such is the impact that the 23-year-old has had in this competition. Sengun is the first player in over 30 years to put up over 150 points, 50 rebounds and 50 assists in a single EuroBasket competition. He'll have to be at his very best as many of the best online betting sites have the Germans as the favourites heading into the final.
Sengun's statline reads: 20.8 points per game, 11.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists on 56% shooting from the field.
Franz Wagner (Germany)
If Germany wins the gold, Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner will have a strong case for the MVP award. He’s been the reigning world champion's most dangerous threat on the offensive end thanks to his versatile play style and his multi-layered scoring threat. His contribution on defense also needs to be taken into account as Wagner often takes on the toughest defensive assignment for his national team.
Already one of the NBA’s best young players, Wagner now has the chance to firmly become the face of Germany's golden generation on Sunday. Wagner ranks seventh in the competition in scoring at 21.1 points per game on 45.5% shooting, while adding 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists.
Dennis Schroder (Germany)
Not to be overlooked is the 2023 FIBA World Cup MVP Dennis Schroder, who has posted a very similar statline as teammate Wagner. Schroder might be considered the dark horse for the award, but a strong showing in the final coupled with a Germany win could see the Sacramento Kings guard walk away with another international MVP award.
Schroder ranks just behind Wagner with 20.9 points per game, 3.5 rebounds and ranks fourth in assists at 6.6 per game.
