Basketball Double Header

Germany’s men’s basketball team at the LANXESS arena—this pairing just makes sense! Following the successful FIBA EuroBasket 2022 and various exhibition games, the German Basketball Federation is now taking another step forward: The “doubleheader” will take place on August 27, 2026, in Cologne! In addition to a men’s World Cup qualifying game featuring the reigning world and European champions (8:00 p.m.)—the opponent for which has not yet been determined—the DBB women’s team will also play a high-level exhibition game against Turkey (5:00 p.m.). Tickets for the international doubleheader will go on sale starting tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.

The DBB women’s team will kick off the Cologne basketball festival—one week before the start of the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin—at 5:00 p.m. with a friendly match against World Cup participant Turkey. The men’s team, featuring NBA stars Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, and others, will follow at 8:00 p.m. with a World Cup qualifying game. In early July, it will be decided whether national team coach Álex Mumbrú’s squad will face Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, or Austria on its path to defending its World Cup title.

Women’s Preview: Germany vs. Turkey

"Cologne, LANXESS arena, a doubleheader with the men’s team—that’s exactly the setting we need for this moment. Eight days before the World Championship begins, we’ll face a strong top-tier opponent from Turkey. A test at the highest level, right in the middle of our preparations—and that’s exactly what we want. No exhibition match, no easy game. We want to know where we stand. The LANXESS arena is one of the best arenas in Europe. The fact that we’ll be taking the court there alongside the men’s national team makes this evening something special—for us as a team, and hopefully for the fans who will be there,” says Women’s National Team Coach Olaf Lange.

Of course, nothing definitive can yet be said about the exact roster of the team—which has risen to 11th in the world rankings—that will be available to national team coach Olaf Lange at the end of August. It is not yet clear whether, and if so which, of the WNBA players will already be available at that time. The players in question are Leonie Fiebich, Satou Sabally (New York Liberty), Nyara Sabally (Toronto Tempo), Luisa Geiselsöder, and Frieda Bühner (both Portland Fire). Lange will therefore rely on players such as Marie Gülich—who will hopefully have recovered by then—Alexis Peterson (Villeneuve d’Ascq Lille Métropole/FRA), Emily Bessoir (Lointek Gernika/ESP), DBBL MVP Alexandra Wilke (Rutronik Stars Keltern), Emma Eichmeyer (Saarlouis Royals), or Alina Hartmann (ALBA BERLIN).

In addition, there will certainly be some young talents who will do everything they can to make the World Cup roster, such as Clara Bielefeld (Texas Christian University/USA) or Lina Falk (Pepperdine University/USA). In any case, basketball fans in Cologne will see a highly motivated German team that hopes to compete for a medal in Berlin shortly thereafter.

Team Turkey

The former “powerhouse” of European basketball (European Championship silver in 2011, European Championship bronze in 2013, fourth place at the World Championship in 2014, fifth place at the Olympics in 2012) is currently well on its way back to its former glory. Admittedly, this is being helped by several naturalized players who have recently carried the Turkish team. At last year’s Women’s EuroBasket, Turkey finished in a respectable 7th place and narrowly missed the semifinals. In the preliminary round, they lost to France 69–71 but defeated Switzerland (91–67) and Greece (83–72). The quarterfinal against Italy, which went on to win the bronze medal, was a real nail-biter (74–76). This was followed by a loss to Germany (73–93) and a win over Lithuania (99–87). A force under the basket at the time was 204 cm center Teaira McCowan, who previously played for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA and averaged 16.8 points and 9.8 rebounds. She was followed by shooting guard Sevgi Uzun (Fenerbahçe Istanbul, 13.7 PTS/4.2 AST), power forward Tilbe Senyurek (Fenerbahçe, 11.8 PTS, 8 REB), and point guard Aperi Onar (Fenerbahçe, 11.7 PTS/4.5 AST).

At the Women’s World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul this spring, the Turkish team faced significant challenges despite having home-court advantage. Ultimately, they qualified by finishing in third place behind Australia and Hungary. Things started off well, as the 71–69 victory over Canada ultimately proved decisive for qualification. The surprising 55–59 loss to Argentina was a blow, but the subsequent 75–67 victory over Japan made up for it. The Turkish women played their best game in a 74–77 loss to Australia, before running out of steam somewhat against Hungary (74–89). This time, another former American player “stepped up”: Guard Kennedy Burke (Connecticut Sun/CBK Mersin) was Turkey’s leading scorer, averaging 16.4 points and 8.2 rebounds. Only Uzun also scored in double digits (15.2). With Australia, Belgium, and Puerto Rico, the Turkish women have drawn a very challenging group for the Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin.

Women’s Record

In 14 official international games against Turkey to date, Germany has managed only five wins (point differential 996–1,003). The two teams last faced off at the 2025 Women’s EuroBasket in Athens, when the German team prevailed 93–73.

Men’s Preview: Germany vs. Qualifier

"Regardless of who our opponent will be in Cologne, this game is hugely important to us. We’ll need all the support we can get. And this fantastic arena is the perfect setting for that. I have fond memories of our game against Spain in the summer of 2025, which led to us becoming European champions. That’s certainly a very good omen for our game in Cologne this year. And with our women’s team there too, it’ll be even better!” said men’s national team coach Álex Mumbrú.

The German team

The German national basketball team has impressively established itself among the world’s elite in recent years and, at least since winning the 2023 World Championship, has been one of the most consistently strong teams in international basketball. The team is characterized by a clear structure, team unity, and a balanced mix of NBA players and top performers from Europe’s top leagues. At the heart of the team are players like Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, who bring both creative play and scoring ability to the squad.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Germany confirmed its new status as a top basketball nation. After a convincing run through the group stage, the team reached the knockout round and performed with great confidence. Even though they ultimately fell short of a medal, the team once again demonstrated that it is competitive at the highest level and no longer needs to shy away from the traditional powerhouses. Particularly striking were the team’s cohesion and its ability to close out games in a controlled manner, even in tight situations.

At EuroBasket 2025, Germany finally took the next big step: With a consistently strong performance throughout the tournament, the team secured the European championship title, impressively underscoring its development into a dominant force in European basketball. Germany impressed with a solid defense, a versatile offensive game, and a clear division of roles within the team. Winning the title was a testament to a structure that had developed over the years and an exceptionally well-functioning collective.

Germany has also performed quite confidently so far in the ongoing FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. The depth of the roster is particularly noteworthy: even with rotating lineups, the team manages to maintain a high level of play and control the flow of games. The results so far in the qualifiers (a win and a loss against Croatia, and wins against Israel and Cyprus) clearly indicate that Germany is well on its way to qualifying for another World Cup.

Overall, Germany has evolved from an underdog to a force to be reckoned with in international basketball. The combination of individual talent, tactical discipline, and strong team chemistry makes the team a serious contender for the title in future tournaments. Looking ahead to the coming years, Germany is among the teams—not only in Europe but also worldwide—that can regularly compete for medals.