MATARO (Spain) – Liman (SRB) continued their remarkable 2026 campaign by capturing the FIBA 3x3 Mataro Challenger title, defeating fellow Serbian side Uzice Zlatiborac (SRB) 21-13 in an all-Serbian Final on Sunday. The victory marked Liman's third Challenger title of the season, while Princeton (USA) and Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO) also secured coveted tickets to FIBA 3x3 World Tour Zaisan 2026.
The Winner
Liman once again showed why they sit among the leading teams on the FIBA 3x3 Pro Circuit, putting together a dominant run to the Mataro Challenger stop win.
The Serbian side swept Pool A after opening their campaign with an 18-11 victory over Mataro (ESP) before defeating Diadema (BRA) 21-18. Andreja Milutinovic was instrumental in both games, scoring six points against the hosts before exploding for 11 points against Diadema, including five two-pointers.
Liman continued their run on Day 2, defeating Hangzhou Jingwei (CHN) 16-13 in the Quarter-Finals before taking down Cibona Ph.Classic 21-14 in the Semi-Finals.
The Final provided another Serbian showdown, but Liman proved too strong. They defeated Uzice Zlatiborac 21-13 to secure another Challenger crown.
Mihailo Vasic delivered a standout performance in the Final and was named tournament MVP. He finished the event with 27 total points, a 37.6 player value and a tournament-leading 25.1 shooting value.
The Runner-up
Uzice Zlatiborac produced one of the tournament's most impressive runs, advancing from the Qualifying Draw all the way to the Final. They opened Day 1 with a 17-14 victory over Gran Canaria PDM (ESP), with Nikola Tasic scoring eight points. Uzice then dominated Ashgabat (TKM) 21-8 to advance to the Main Draw.
They first lost to Cibona Ph.Classic in pool play before bouncing back a 20-18 victory over Barcelona to advance to Day 2. The Serbian side eventually reached the Final after defeating Kaunas VDU 21-17 in the Quarter-Finals and Princeton 20-16 in the Semi-Finals. Although they fell to Liman in the championship game, Uzice's run from the qualifying draw to second place was one of the defining stories of the weekend.
The Final
The all-Serbian Final began with Uzice Zlatiborac taking a 6-4 lead, but Liman quickly changed the momentum. Liman surged ahead 12-7 midway through the contest before extending their advantage to 17-8 with less than three minutes remaining. Uzice were unable to mount another comeback as Liman closed out the 21-13 victory.
Vasic led all scorers in the Final with 11 points, providing the finishing touch on Liman's third Challenger title of the season. The victory adds Mataro to Liman's 2026 Challenger titles in Darkhan and Uenohara.
The Reward
Liman, Princeton and Cibona Ph.Classic secured qualification for FIBA 3x3 World Tour Zaisan 2026. Liman earned the top spot after winning the Challenger, while Princeton and Cibona Ph.Classic also secured their World Tour places as the next eligible teams among the top finishers.
Final Standings
1. Liman (SRB) - qualified to WT Zaisan 2. Uzice Zlatiborac (SRB) - only one SRB team can qualify outright from Mataro Challenger 3. Princeton (USA) - qualified to WT Zaisan 4. Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO) - qualified to WT Zaisan 5. Kaunas VDU (LTU)
Top Scorers
1. Andreja Milutinovic (Liman) - 31 pts 2. Mihailo Vasic (Liman) - 27 pts 3. Nikola Tašić (Uzice Zlatiborac) - 27 pts 4. Kajus Leliukas (Kaunas VDU) - 26 pts 5. Matija Radovic (Uzice Zlatiborac) - 25 pts
What's Next
The Challenger circuit continues immediately with the FIBA 3x3 Madrid Challenger 2026 on October 3-4.
The next major World Tour stop is FIBA 3x3 World Tour Bucharest 2026, alongside the Go Too! Group Aichi Challenger, with both events taking place on October 10-11.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3x3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3x3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3x3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3x3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3x3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
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