EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites: who can reach the final weekend?

How we rank the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites

Ranking contenders in October is a little like forecasting the weather in May, so we use three filters. The first is pedigree: clubs that have played many Final Fours know how to manage the pressure of a best-of-five series and of a single-game semifinal, and that experience is hard to buy. The second is stability on the bench, since a coach who has had a full summer to shape a roster usually gets more out of it by spring. The third is depth, because the 2026-27 season has 38 regular-season rounds between 24 September and 16 April, followed by a Play-In and playoffs that can stretch to 12 May. A team that relies on two stars can top the table in November and still fall apart by April. None of these filters is perfect, which is why we revise this page after the winter, once the standings have something real to say.

The format adds its own logic. The top six clubs of the regular season go straight to the playoffs, the teams ranked seventh to tenth go through the Play-In on 20 and 23 April 2027, and the top four earn home-court advantage in the quarterfinals, hosting games one, two and a possible game five. Historically, finishing in the top four has been the most reliable path to the Final Four, although upsets happen every season. That is why we pay as much attention to roster balance as to big-name signings. We also keep in mind that the league will expand to 24 teams in 2027-28, so some clubs may already be thinking about next season's project. For a full view of the calendar leading to the last weekend of May, see our Final Four 2027 dates page, which lists every stage from March to May.

Olympiacos lead the Final Four 2027 favourites as holders

Olympiacos start the season as the team to beat. In Athens in May 2026, they beat Fenerbahçe 79–61 in the semifinal and Real Madrid 92–85 in the final, winning their fourth EuroLeague title and their first since 2013, and becoming the first club to win the trophy after finishing the regular season in first place. Evan Fournier was named MVP of the weekend. The club also chose continuity: in June 2026 it extended the contract of head coach Georgios Bartzokas for three more years, until 2029, after an earlier one-year extension that had covered 2025-26. Stability at the top of a club that has long been one of the most consistent in Europe is a strong argument, and the Piraeus side has the budget and the fan base to keep its place among the Final Four 2027 favourites throughout the season.

History supports that view. In the Final Four era, Olympiacos have won four titles, in 1997, 2012, 2013 and 2026, and lost six finals, in 1994, 1995, 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2023, the last of them by a single point against Real Madrid in Kaunas. Few clubs have been as regular in the last decade. The caveat is that repeating as champion is very hard in the modern EuroLeague: the last club to do it was Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022, and before that you have to go back to Olympiacos themselves in 2012 and 2013. The first sign of the new season was mixed, since Olympiacos lost the final of the inaugural EuroLeague Super Cup in Abu Dhabi to Real Madrid. That is a pre-season trophy, though, and we would not read too much into it. Our verdict: favourites, not certainties.

Real Madrid among the Final Four 2027 contenders under Pedro Martínez

Real Madrid are the most constant presence at the end of the European season, and they remain one of the clear Final Four 2027 contenders. The club holds the all-time record of eleven European titles, and in the Final Four era alone it won in 1995, 2015, 2018 and 2023 and lost the finals of 2013, 2014, 2022, 2024 and 2026. Last May in Athens, Madrid beat Valencia 105–90 in the semifinal, with Mario Hezonja finishing as top scorer of the weekend with 44 points over the two games, before losing the final to Olympiacos. The summer brought a change on the bench, with Pedro Martínez taking over, and the new coach started with a trophy by beating Olympiacos in the final of the first EuroLeague Super Cup in Abu Dhabi, at the very beginning of the 2026-27 season.

The key question for Madrid is how quickly a new coach's ideas settle into a roster that mixes experienced leaders and new additions, as the season previews described it. Martínez is a veteran of Spanish basketball, and the club's resources mean it can react in mid-season if something is not working. Madrid also have a long habit of being there at the end, with nine finals in the Final Four era. If they finish in the top four and avoid a dangerous quarterfinal opponent, we expect them to be in the last four once again. For Madrid supporters planning ahead, the dates are fixed, but the city is not, and the travel budget could vary a lot depending on whether the event stays in Europe or returns to the Gulf.

Greek and Turkish Final Four 2027 contenders

The eastern Mediterranean has supplied many champions in recent years, and the current season is no exception. Besides Olympiacos, two Istanbul clubs and the other half of the Athens rivalry have serious arguments, and a third Istanbul team has joined the competition. Panathinaikos made the most talked-about move of the summer, Fenerbahçe remain one of the most complete organisations in Europe after their 2025 title and their 2026 semifinal, and Anadolu Efes have the pedigree of a club that won back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. Beşiktaş, which replaced AS Monaco in the league for 2026-27, is the newcomer from the same city. Together, these clubs bring huge crowds, demanding owners and an expectation of success that makes every season a test. The three sub-sections below assess where each of them stands among the Final Four 2027 contenders, with the caution that rosters can still change before the spring and that injuries often decide these races.

Panathinaikos: Obradović back for the Final Four 2027 contenders race

Panathinaikos parted ways with Ergin Ataman in June 2026, after a season that ended with a quarterfinal elimination by Valencia in the EuroLeague and a defeat in the Greek championship final. The club then announced the return of Željko Obradović on a three-year contract, fourteen years after he left. The Serbian coach won five EuroLeague titles with the Greens, in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011, and the club's seven titles in the Final Four era, completed by 2024 in Berlin, make it the most successful team of the format. Obradović had left Partizan in November 2025, so he arrived fresh and with a clear mandate. Expectations in Athens are enormous, and the combination of a legendary coach, a passionate crowd and a recent title places Panathinaikos firmly among the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 contenders, even if a new coaching staff always needs time to settle. The first months of the season will show how quickly his methods take hold.

Fenerbahçe and Anadolu Efes: Istanbul's EuroLeague Final Four 2027 hopes

Fenerbahçe won the 2025 Final Four in Abu Dhabi, beating AS Monaco 81–70 with Nigel Hayes-Davis named MVP, and returned to the last four in Athens in 2026, where they lost their semifinal to Olympiacos. Add their 2017 title in Istanbul and finals in 2016 and 2018, and you have one of the most consistent Final Four clubs of the past decade. Anadolu Efes, for their part, won in Cologne in 2021 and in Belgrade in 2022, with Vasilije Micić named MVP both times, after losing the 2019 final in Vitoria. Both clubs have the resources to compete for a place on the last weekend of May. We have not verified every detail of their 2026-27 rosters and benches, so we prefer to judge them on their track record and their early results, which we will review after the winter break. Both belong in any serious list of Final Four 2027 contenders.

Beşiktaş: a newcomer among the Final Four 2027 contenders?

Beşiktaş entered the EuroLeague for 2026-27 in place of AS Monaco, the 2025 finalist, which temporarily withdrew and now plays in the EuroCup. The Istanbul club reached the 2026 EuroCup finals, where it lost to Cosea JL Bourg, so it arrives with recent experience of deep playoff runs, but the EuroLeague is a different level, with 38 rounds, constant travel and opponents with far bigger budgets and more European experience. The first Turkish derby of the season, Anadolu Efes against Beşiktaş, was scheduled for round 7 on 22 October. Our expectation is that a first season in the competition is more about establishing the club than about reaching the Final Four, but newcomers have surprised the league before. We would place Beşiktaş as an outsider among the Final Four 2027 contenders, a team to watch in the Play-In race rather than a favourite for May. A strong home record in Istanbul would be the first sign that it can go further.

Spanish and Lithuanian Final Four 2027 contenders

Spain will have four clubs in the regular season, and three of them have a realistic chance of a deep run, while Kaunas has the most intriguing story of the summer. Valencia Basket arrive with the confidence of a club that reached the Final Four in 2026 after knocking out Panathinaikos, and they now play in the Roig Arena, the largest indoor venue in Spain. FC Barcelona remain one of the historic giants of the competition, with two titles and five lost finals in the Final Four era. Baskonia complete the Spanish contingent, with the experience of having reached several Final Fours in the past. In Lithuania, Žalgiris added one of the best-known players in the country's history. Each of these clubs has a different profile, from the established giant to the rising challenger, and each could change the shape of the race for the Final Four 2027 favourites if their season clicks at the right time.

Valencia Basket: from Athens semifinalist to Final Four 2027 favourites?

Valencia's 2026 campaign was their breakthrough: they eliminated Panathinaikos in the playoffs, reached the Final Four in Athens and lost 105–90 to Real Madrid in a semifinal played at a very high tempo. That run, combined with a new home arena that seats about 15,600 for basketball, gives the club a platform it never had before. The question for 2026-27 is whether they can repeat the feat with the added pressure of being expected to do so. Teams coming off a surprise Final Four run sometimes struggle the following season, when opponents prepare for them more carefully. We have not verified the full 2026-27 roster, so we will refrain from naming individual players here. Valencia are also mentioned in reports as a possible host city for the 2027 event, which, if it happened, would make a qualification even more meaningful. Our view: a credible member of the second tier of Final Four 2027 favourites.

Barcelona and Žalgiris among the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 contenders

FC Barcelona won the Final Four in 2003 at home and in 2010 in Paris, and they lost five finals, in 1990, 1991, 1996, 1997 and 2021. Their most recent final appearance, against Anadolu Efes in Cologne, already feels like a while ago, and the club has to prove it can return to the very top. With its resources and its tradition, it remains a contender as long as it secures a top-four place. Žalgiris Kaunas, champions in 1999 in Munich, made the biggest headline of the summer when Jonas Valančiūnas signed a two-year deal in July 2026 after fourteen NBA seasons. A centre of his experience can change the balance of a EuroLeague team, especially in a seven-month season where size and rebounding count. Žalgiris are also linked to the host city debate, since Kaunas was named as a possible alternative venue. Both clubs sit on the edge of our list of EuroLeague Final Four 2027 contenders.

Outsiders among the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 contenders

Every season produces at least one surprise, and a few clubs have the profile to cause one. Dubai Basketball, coached by the experienced Xavi Pascual, was described in season previews as the club with the biggest ambitions in the league. Partizan and Crvena zvezda bring the loudest home crowds in Europe and can beat anyone in Belgrade, while Maccabi Tel Aviv, champions in 2004, 2005 and 2014, and Hapoel Tel Aviv add an Israeli dimension. Bayern Munich, ASVEL, Paris Basketball, Virtus Bologna, Olimpia Milano and Baskonia complete the field. Most of them are, in our opinion, more likely to fight for the Play-In than for a Final Four ticket, but the format leaves a real door open: a seventh or eighth place followed by a strong playoff series is all it takes.

The absence of AS Monaco, the 2025 finalist, also opens space in the middle of the table. Monaco's temporary withdrawal moved a strong side out of the competition, and that place went to Beşiktaş, whose ambitions are more modest for a first season. For neutral fans, the outsiders matter for another reason: if one of them reaches the Final Four, demand for tickets from its supporters can be very different from that of a Greek or Spanish club, which affects prices on the resale market. A Serbian club qualifying for a European Final Four, for instance, would bring thousands of travelling fans, whereas a smaller club might leave more seats for neutral buyers. Keep an eye on the standings in March and April, and read our Final Four history page if you want to see how often outsiders have broken through since 1988.

EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites by the numbers

The table below shows the record of the main contenders at the Final Four since the format started in 1988, counting titles won and finals lost at the event itself. We exclude the 2001 SuproLeague Final Four in Paris, played in a split season, and the 2020 edition, which was cancelled because of COVID-19. These figures are a measure of pedigree, not of current form, and some clubs on the list have changed coaches, owners or arenas since their best years. Still, they help explain why Olympiacos, Real Madrid and Panathinaikos are so often found among the favourites, and why newer contenders such as Valencia, Dubai or Beşiktaş have to build their own history before being taken at the same level. Clubs that are not shown either have no Final Four final in that period or, like Valencia, have reached the semifinals without playing a final, which can change in May 2027.

Tickets for fans of the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites

Supporters of the contenders face a specific problem: they only know whether their club has qualified in late April or mid-May, but the general ticket sale is likely to start months earlier. In 2026, the league sold tickets in four public phases from 11 February, with a cap of two tickets per order, exclusion of earlier buyers from later phases and prices between €399 and €952, all valid for the whole weekend. The first public phases sold out. Clubs taking part in a Final Four have historically received ticket allocations for their own supporters, typically distributed to members and season-ticket holders, but the details vary by club and by edition, so check your club's own communication once it qualifies. Fans who want certainty often buy in the general sale as soon as it opens, accepting the risk of watching other teams if their own club falls short in the playoffs.

If you miss both the general sale and your club's allocation, an established resale platform with a buyer guarantee is the usual alternative, and the league opened an official resale platform in spring 2026. Prices on the secondary market move sharply once the four teams are known, and they tend to rise most when Greek, Spanish or Serbian clubs qualify, because of the size of their travelling support. Always compare the total price including fees, check the delivery date and keep your confirmations. Our EuroLeague Final Four 2027 tickets page explains the phases in detail, with the 2026 rules as a reference, and the 🔔 alert on this page will let you know when the 2027 sale is announced. For broader travel planning once the host city is known, the hotels and transport guide will be updated the same day.

EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites FAQ

We answer here the questions readers ask most often about the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites. Our answers reflect the situation on 25 October 2026, a few weeks into a regular season that runs until 16 April 2027, so they are opinions based on verified history and summer moves rather than on a sample of games large enough to be conclusive. We deliberately avoid predicting precise standings or naming injured players, because that kind of information changes every week and we prefer not to publish anything we cannot confirm. When a club changes coach, signs a major player or suffers a serious setback, we update the relevant section of this page. If your club is not mentioned among the main contenders, that is not a judgement on its season: the EuroLeague has always rewarded teams that peak in April and May, and the Play-In gives four more clubs a genuine route into the playoffs.

Who are the favourites for the EuroLeague Final Four 2027?

In our early reading, the main Final Four 2027 favourites are Olympiacos, the holders, who kept coach Georgios Bartzokas with a contract extended until 2029; Real Madrid, who reached the 2026 final and won the first EuroLeague Super Cup under new coach Pedro Martínez; Panathinaikos, now led again by Željko Obradović; and Fenerbahçe, champions in 2025 and semifinalists in 2026. Behind them we place Valencia, Anadolu Efes, FC Barcelona, Žalgiris and Dubai as the clubs most likely to break into that group. This is an opinion, not a forecast based on a model, and the regular season has only just started. Injuries, mid-season signings and coaching changes can change everything by April. We will publish an updated reading after the winter, when the standings begin to separate the real contenders from the rest, and again before the playoffs, when the bracket is set and the four quarterfinal series are known.

Can Olympiacos win the EuroLeague Final Four 2027 again?

They certainly can, but history shows how hard it is. Olympiacos won the 2026 title in Athens, beating Fenerbahçe 79–61 and Real Madrid 92–85, and they keep their coach and much of their structure. However, back-to-back titles are rare in the modern EuroLeague: Anadolu Efes did it in 2021 and 2022, and Olympiacos themselves in 2012 and 2013, but most champions of the last two decades failed to defend their crown. A defending champion is targeted by every opponent, and the 38-round regular season followed by best-of-five playoffs leaves little room for a dip in form. The fact that Olympiacos lost the Super Cup final to Real Madrid in Abu Dhabi at the start of the season means little in itself. Our view is that they are among the strongest Final Four 2027 contenders, but repeating as champion would be a significant achievement rather than an expected outcome, and a fitting reward for a club built on continuity.

Which clubs have the best record at the Final Four?

Since the Final Four format started in 1988, Panathinaikos have the most titles won at the event, with seven, from 1996 in Paris to 2024 in Berlin, and they have not lost a final in that period, if the 2001 SuproLeague is left aside. Real Madrid and Olympiacos each have four titles, but they have also reached many more finals, with five and six defeats respectively, which shows how often they have been part of the final weekend. Maccabi Tel Aviv won three titles in the Final Four era, while Fenerbahçe, Anadolu Efes and FC Barcelona have two each. Real Madrid hold the all-time record of eleven European titles when the years before the Final Four format are included. These numbers explain why the same names appear on most lists of EuroLeague Final Four 2027 favourites. Our history page lists every final, host city and result since 1988 if you want to explore further.

How do fans of a qualified club get Final Four 2027 tickets?

Fans of a club that qualifies for the Final Four 2027 usually have two routes. The first is the general sale run by the league, which in 2026 opened on 11 February in four public phases with a two-ticket cap per order; buying there means committing before you know whether your team will qualify. The second is the club's own allocation: participating clubs have historically received tickets for their supporters, often reserved for members and season-ticket holders, but the rules differ from club to club, so the best source is your club's official communication once qualification is secured in May. If both routes fail, an established resale platform with a buyer guarantee is the common alternative; compare total prices including fees and check the delivery date. Because the host city is still to be confirmed, the alert on this page is the simplest way to hear when the sale is scheduled.