BRASILIA (Brazil) – Barcelona (ESP) captured the FIBA 3x3 Brasilia Challenger 2026 title after edging Antwerp (BEL) 21-20 in a thrilling Final at Shopping Pátio Brasil. Nil Bria delivered the decisive moment, knocking down a clutch jumper in the closing seconds to complete a remarkable comeback and hand the Spanish side their biggest result of the season.
The sixth Challenger stop of the year featured elite teams from across the globe battling for three coveted tickets to the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Marseille 2026. Barcelona ultimately emerged on top, while Marijampole MANTINGA (LTU) and Los Angeles (USA) also secured qualification after finishing among the highest-placed eligible teams.
The Winner: Barcelona (ESP)
Barcelona showed resilience throughout the tournament and saved their best basketball for Day 2. After opening with a convincing win over Diadema (BRA), Barcelona suffered a narrow defeat to Liberec (CZE) in pool play but advanced to the Quarter-Finals thanks to superior points differential. They then caught fire in the knockout rounds.
Bria exploded for four two-pointers in a Quarter-Finals victory over Princeton, while Jordi Juanola starred in the Semi-Finals with 10 points as Barcelona defeated Los Angeles (USA) 21-18.
In the Final, Barcelona overcame an eight-point deficit against Antwerp before Bria's game-winning jumper secured a dramatic 21-20 victory.
Jaume Zanca was named tournament MVP after stuffing the stat sheet throughout the weekend. The versatile star finished with 32 points, 10 key assists, 18 rebounds and a tournament-best two blocks while consistently making winning plays on both ends of the floor.
The Runner-Up: Antwerp (BEL)
Antwerp once again proved why they remain one of the premier teams on the Pro Circuit 2026 .
The Belgian powerhouse topped Pool A after victories over Los Angeles and NY Harlem (USA) before defeating London (GBR) in the Quarter-Finals and surviving a thriller against Marijampole MANTINGA in the Semi-Finals.
Jonas Foerts was sensational throughout the event. He led Antwerp with 40 points, the highest total in the tournament, and repeatedly delivered in clutch moments, including key baskets during Antwerp's dramatic Semi-Finals win. Despite controlling much of the Final and leading by as many as seven points, Antwerp were denied by Barcelona's late surge.
The Final
The championship game delivered everything fans could have hoped for. Antwerp raced out to a 10-3 advantage behind the scoring punch of Foerts and Dennis Donkor and appeared firmly in control midway through the contest.
Barcelona refused to fold, though. Led by Bria, Juanola and MVP Zanca, the Spanish side gradually chipped away at the deficit and eventually tied the game at 17-all with just over two minutes remaining. The teams traded baskets down the stretch before finding themselves level at 20-20 inside the final 30 seconds.
With the title hanging in the balance, Bria created space along the baseline and calmly knocked down the game-winning jumper over Donkor to seal a dramatic 21-20 victory and spark celebrations for Barcelona.
The Reward
The FIBA 3x3 Brasilia Challenger 2026 offered three qualification spots for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Marseille 2026.
Tournament winners Barcelona secured their place automatically, while Marijampole MANTINGA and Los Angeles also booked tickets to Marseille as the highest-placed eligible teams. Runner-up Antwerp had already qualified as a hard-seeded team and therefore did not require a qualification spot from Brasilia.
The event also provided a final high-level test for several players ahead of the upcoming FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2026 in Warsaw.
Final Standings:
1. Barcelona (ESP) - qualified to WT Marseille 2. Antwerp (BEL) - already pre-qualified to WT Marseille as a hard seed 3. Marijampole MANTINGA (LTU) - qualified to WT Marseille 4. Los Angeles (USA) - qualified to WT Marseille 5. Lausanne (SUI)
Top Scorers:
1. Jonas Foerts (Antwerp) - 40 pts 2. Raphael Wilson (Los Angeles) - 34 pts 3. Jaume Zanca (Barcelona) - 32 pts 4. Ignas Labutis (Marijampole MANTINGA) - 29 pts 5. Jordi Juanola (Barcelona) - 27 pts
FIBA