London, Monday 29 December - The London Lions have been confirmed as participants in the Abu Dhabi Qualifying Tournament of the adidas NextGen EuroLeague, taking place from 27 February to 1 March 2026.
The adidas NextGen EuroLeague is the premier Under-18 club competition in European basketball, featuring 28 elite youth programmes from 12 countries across four three-day qualifying tournaments held between February and March.
The events will determine the teams advancing to the season-ending NextGen EuroLeague Finals, staged alongside the EuroLeague Final Four, where the continental junior club champion will be crowned.
The Abu Dhabi stop will feature a highly competitive field, with the London Lions drawn alongside:
Aris Thessaloniki
AS Monaco
Dubai Basketball
NextGen Team Abu Dhabi
Real Madrid
Valencia Basket
Zalgiris Kaunas
Nineteen of the 28 participating teams across the qualifying phase are junior sections of EuroLeague clubs, with six representing BKT EuroCup organisations, alongside invited teams and host NextGen selections at each stop.
London Lions will become only the third British team to compete in the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Tournament and the first since 2019, following Barking Abbey, who previously took part on two occasions, and the England Under-18 national team, who competed in the tournament in 2013 when the EuroLeague Final Four was held in London.
The club's inclusion underlines the Lions' commitment to providing British players with exposure to the highest levels of European competition.
As part of their preparation for the Abu Dhabi Qualifier, the Lions’ NextGen squad will compete in the Surrey 89ers Winter Showcase on 29 and 30 December at Surrey Sports Park, providing valuable high-level game action ahead of the international tournament. Entrance is free for spectators, with Lions playing at 5:30pm on Monday, and either 11am (3rd place playoff) or 1:30pm (final) on Tuesday, depending on Monday's result.
The Lions’ roster for the adidas NextGen EuroLeague Tournament will be announced in due course.
You can find the official Euroleague announcement here.
For any interview requests or media enquiries, contact pressoffice@thelondonlions.com
