MARSEILLE (France) – The first half of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2026 season is officially in the books.
Marseille, the eighth stop of the campaign, delivered everything we have come to expect from the FIBA 3x3 World Tour: dramatic upsets, breakthrough performances and another reminder that the race for the title is as open as ever.
Before the circuit takes a five-week break ahead of FIBA 3x3 World Tour Lausanne 2026 on August 14-15, here is what we learned from a memorable weekend in southern France.
Ub are back on top
Never count out the kings. After a disappointing sixth-place finish in WT Ulaanbaatar last weekend and an upset loss to Barcelona (ESP) on Day 1 in Marseille, some may have wondered whether Ub (SRB) had lost their edge.
Well, the answer was emphatic. Led by MVP Strahinja Stojacic, the Serbian powerhouse stormed through Championship Sunday, defeating Toulouse (FRA), Fuengirola (ESP) and Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) to claim their second FIBA 3x3 World Tour title of the season.
Only Liman (SRB) can match that feat in 2026. The rest of the field has undoubtedly closed the gap, but Marseille proved that when the stakes are highest, Ub remain one of the most dangerous teams in the game.
Doctor Strange finally gets his MVP
This one felt as inevitable as Thanos. Despite Ub's triumph in WT Chengdu earlier this season, it was Filip Kaluderovic who took home MVP honors. In Marseille, however, there was no denying Stojacic.
The world's No.1 player led the tournament in virtually every major category, posting a competition-best 64.8 player value, 37 total points, 38 highlights and 15 key assists.
His defining performance came in the Semi-Finals against Fuengirola, when he exploded for 14 points and almost single-handedly carried Ub into the Final.
Another WT win, another masterclass and another reminder that 'Doctor Strange' remains the face of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour.
Spanish statements
Barcelona and Fuengirola may not have reached the Final, but both left Marseille with plenty of momentum. Barcelona stunned defending champions Ub on Day 1 and topped Pool A before eventually falling in overtime to Raudondvaris Hoptrans in the Semi-Finals. Fuengirola, meanwhile, defeated Liman and produced one of the comebacks of the season against Élancourt (FRA) before running into a red-hot Ub side in the last four.
Spain's rise on the Pro Circuit has been one of the stories of 2026, and Marseille only reinforced that trend.
Parity ramains real
Eight World Tour stops. Six different winners. The first half of the season has delivered one of the most unpredictable campaigns in recent memory.
Liman and Ub have each won twice, while Miami (USA), Hangzhou Jingwei (CHN), Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED) and Baskets Bonn (GER) have all climbed to the top of the podium.
The depth across the FIBA 3x3 World Tour has never been greater, and it feels like a different team can win on each Championship Sunday.
That parity also raises an intriguing question for the second half of the season: can contenders such as Skyliners (GER), Shanghai (CHN), Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL), Antwerp (BEL) and DeQing (CHN) finally break through and add their names to the winners' list? Or can another unheralded team blindside the favorites and win a WT stop?
Second half shaping up beautifully
Marseille marks the halfway point of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2026 season. The circuit now pauses for a handful of weeks before returning to Lausanne in mod-August. From there, eight more stops remain before the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2026 Final in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 12-13.
The race for ranking points, FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final qualification and bragging rights is only going to intensify.
And if the first eight stops have taught us anything, it's this: Nobody can take anything for granted.
The kings are still standing, the challengers are growing stronger and the battle for FIBA 3x3 World Tour supremacy is wide open heading into the latter half of the season.
FIBA