LISBON (Portugal) - There's a common saying in Portugal, meant to inspire patience and positivity: quem espera sempre alcança. You may be more familiar with its English counterpart: "good things come to those who wait".
For everyone associated with the national basketball teams of Portugal, that wait has been excruciating.
As recently as last year, the idea of both Portugal’s men’s and women’s national basketball teams qualifying for EuroBasket in the same summer would’ve been little more than a hopeful dream.
But 2025 is not just another year. It’s a statement.
For the first time in history, both the men's and women's national teams are bound for EuroBasket 2025 - carrying the hopes of a nation awakening to the rhythm of the bouncing ball. This dual qualification marks a watershed moment for Portuguese basketball, but it didn’t happen overnight. It’s the result of strategic overhauls, generational talent, and a quiet revolution that’s been brewing behind the scenes for over a decade.
Basketball has long lived in the shadows of football in Portugal, a country where legends like Eusebio and Cristiano Ronaldo dominate sporting lore. But the sport’s roots stretch back nearly a century. The first official basketball league in Portugal was established in 1932, under the governance of the Portuguese Basketball Federation (FPB), which itself was founded in 1927.
While the domestic Liga Portuguesa de Basquetebol (LPB) has produced local talent for decades, international success has been sparse. The men's national team only ever qualified for EuroBasket three times before this year — in 1951, 2007, and 2011; amassing just five wins across all three campaigns.
"I have to remind you guys that in 2011, there were no wins for Portugal in that EuroBasket,” says Travante Williams, a US-born forward who was instrumental in Portugal’s qualifying campaign. "We're going into this one saying we're gonna win the whole thing. We don’t fear anybody — not Giannis [Antetokounmpo], not [Nikola] Jokic. We’re here to fight.”
The women's side fared worse historically. Until now, they had never qualified for EuroBasket. For decades, they remained on the periphery of international relevance, despite grassroots participation being relatively balanced between genders.
But behind the scenes, a new foundation was being laid.
The FPB revamped its national youth programs and started pouring resources into coaching clinics, while the LBP began attracting better talent and more visibility, with Liga Feminina seeing a parallel rise with clubs investing significantly in women's basketball
The results were gradual but clear. By the late 2010s, Portuguese junior teams started making noise in FIBA Division B competitions. In 2019, the U20 men won gold in the Division B EuroBasket. In 2022, the women’s U18 team won silver in their Division B tournament, indicating a talent pipeline taking shape.
The talent has continued to grow; rising stars such as Ruben Prey and Williams who has embraced the national team with his journey to becoming a Portuguese citizen and a cornerstone of the national team having started in 2016.
“I like to call Portugal my first love,” Williams said. “I had just played in Georgia for three months, and that was my first time leaving the United States. I did well there, I was able to put up some good numbers. I went back home [to the USA] and started working a regular job. But I was talking to my agents every day, and somehow in September we got a call from UD Oliveirense, and that’s how I got to Portugal.
“We ended up winning the championship in my first year there. In my second year, we ran it back with the same team and won another championship. So, I was able to start building my legacy in Portugal.
“I was there [in Portugal] for six years, and that’s where I learned how to be a pro.”
Williams’ impact was instant. A fierce defender, relentless scorer, and emotional leader, he quickly became a fan favorite and helped raise the domestic league’s competitive standard.
“I would love to take all the credit,” he laughed. “As soon as I touched down in Portugal, the level increased. But seriously, we started bringing in higher caliber players, and local guys stepped up too.”
Every great rise needs its protagonists, and for both of Portugal’s national teams, there are many. Of course there is Williams, who led the men’s team during their EuroBasket Qualifiers with 13.8 points and 3 steals per game. Next to him is power forward Miguel Queiroz, a veteran leader with over 100 caps and dominant force on the boards.
Then there’s Neemias Queta—the 7-foot center from Barreiro who made history as the first Portuguese player to be drafted into the NBA in 2021. Quetta, who won gold with the U20 team in 2019, wasn’t part of the Portuguese team for the Qualifiers, but his performance this season with the Celtics suggests he will be present for EuroBasket this summer.
It’s a similar story of a win-by-committee approach on the women’s team. Maria João Bettencourt (11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds per game), Maria Kostourkova (9.7 rebounds), and Marcia da Costa (11.3 points, 2.5 steals) are just three of the names who have been ever-present during Portugal’s steady ascent.
Credit also goes to the coaches: Mario Gomes (men) and Ricardo Vasconcelos (women), who’ve emphasized team defense and discipline while fostering a culture of belief in a country not used to competing at this level.
For the men, qualification came through a dramatic final window in Riga. Portugal needed just one win to book their ticket, and they were watching the Slovenia–Ukraine game on the team bus before tip-off.
“It was kind of a delayed celebration,” Williams said. “We’re watching the game, knowing that if Slovenia loses, we have to go all out. They won — so we qualified — but then we had to go warm up. It was surreal.”
It marked Portugal’s return to EuroBasket after 14 years — and the first time ever that they did so with expectations of more than just participation.
The women, meanwhile, secured their spot with a commanding 57–40 victory over Serbia in Coimbra, sparking delirious celebrations among the home crowd. At long last, Portugal’s women had taken their place among Europe’s elite.
"There are players with over a decade of national team experience, we started as the fourth [team in the group] in the first qualifying round, we grew up and today, to be here, it is a historical landmark and an amazing feeling,” coach Vasconcelos said.
"It’s hard to find words to describe this moment,” Carolina Rodrigues added. “It is the first time in history that this happens, it is an honour to be here, to be part of this group, but it’s more important to say that this hasn’t fallen from heaven.
"We have been working towards this for a lot of years, a lot of generations. This national team has been working for a long time, perhaps when other national teams were resting, we kept on working towards our goal. It’s a huge emotion."
EuroBasket 2025 won’t be easy. The men are drawn into a group with heavyweights like Türkiye and Serbia, while the women face Belgium and Montenegro—top 20 sides in the FIBA world rankings, presented by Nike. But the tone has shifted. Portugal is no longer just happy to be invited. They’re here to compete.
“We’re not coming in as high-ranked. We don’t have the stars, but we’ve got Portuguese pride,” Williams said. “We know who we are, and we want the world to know too. Any win we get, we’re taking it — but make no mistake, we’re coming to win.”
Williams also sees the bigger picture behind their attendance at the competition: inspiring the next generation.
“You hear it all the time now — kids saying they saw us play and they want to play too. That’s everything,” he said. “I’ve watched guys I played with become stars. I played with Andre Cruz when he was 17 — now he’s one of the best in Portugal.”
While EuroBasket 2025 is a major milestone, it may just be the start of Portugal’s basketball golden era. With continued youth investment, rising local stars, and an impassioned culture led by players like Williams, the ceiling is climbing.
“There’s a lot of Portuguese guys that deserve to be playing at higher levels,” Williams insisted. “My job is to show that we can compete with anybody — and bring my brothers along with me.”
From an overlooked nation to a rising force, Portugal’s basketball journey is far from over. But for now, both teams can bask in the glow of a historic summer ahead — and perhaps, turn some heads while they’re at it.
FIBA