MARSEILLE (France) - Spanish teams Barcelona (ESP) and Fuengirola (ESP) stole the spotlight on a dramatic Day 1 of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Marseille 2026 on July 4.
Both teams swept their pools and scored stunning victories over World Tour heavyweights, while Toulouse (FRA) delighted the home crowd by also finishing unbeaten. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) completed the list of pool winners after navigating a tough Pool D.
Defending Marseille champions Ub (SRB) and in-form Liman (SRB) both suffered surprising defeats but did enough to secure Quarter-Finals berths.
Shockers
Barcelona announced themselves as genuine contenders with a perfect day in Pool A. They first stunned defending champions Ub 19-18 in one of the games of the day before overcoming Marijampole MANTINGA (LTU) 19-16 to finish atop the group. Jaume Zanca and Nil Bria came up clutch throughout the day, with Bria sinking the game-winning free throw against Ub and Zanca dropping 9 points against Marijampole MANTINGA.
Fuengirola also enjoyed a dream opening day. They shocked red-hot Liman 21-18 behind 8 points from Isaac Mayo before cruising past Los Angeles (USA) 21-13 thanks to an explosive 11-point outing from Diego De Blas. The unbeaten run secured Fuengirola's place atop Pool B and continued Spain's impressive day in Marseille.
Of course, the home fans had plenty to cheer about as Toulouse swept Pool C. Franck Seguela inspired the French side to a statement 19-12 opening victory over Antwerp (BEL) before combining with Hugo Suhard to defeat Zvornik (BIH) 19-12 and secure direct qualification to the Quarter-Finals.
Raudondvaris Hoptrans were eager to turn their season around by winning both of their games on Day 1. They needed an Ignas Vaitkus game-winner to edge Élancourt (FRA) 18-17 before taking care of Hangzhou Jingwei (CHN) 21-15 behind 9 points from big man Aurelijus Pukelis.
Stepping up
Spain's international star Diego De Blas was sensational on opening day. After helping Fuengirola shock Liman, De Blas erupted for 11 points in the win over Los Angeles and played a pivotal role in his team's perfect 2-0 record. With confidence high following Spain's recent FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup 2026 qualification, De Blas looks ready to lead Fuengirola on a deep run in Marseille.
Game of the Day
Barcelona over Ub, 19-18
Barcelona produced the upset of the tournament so far by taking down defending Marseille champions Ub. The Spaniards led for much of the contest before Strahinja Stojacic's late dunk gave Ub an 18-17 advantage. However, Jaume Zanca tied the game moments later before Nil Bria calmly knocked down the winning free-throw with no time remaining to hand Barcelona a famous victory.
If Day 1 proved anything, it's that there are no easy games on the World Tour. The traditional powers remain alive, but the balance of power in Marseille has shifted dramatically. Spanish teams Barcelona and Fuengirola have emerged as legitimate title contenders, while Toulouse will have the full backing of the home crowd entering the knockout rounds.
Quarter-Finals
The stage is now set for an exciting knockout phase:
QF1: Barcelona (ESP) vs. Antwerp (BEL) QF2: Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) vs. Liman (SRB) QF3: Fuengirola (ESP) vs. Élancourt (FRA) QF4: Toulouse (FRA) vs. Ub (SRB)
The knockout bracket is locked, and after a day full of shocks and drama, an unforgettable finish awaits at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Marseille 2026.
FIBA