Belgium unbeaten into World Cup quarterfinals, Julie Allemand makes assists history
Belgium's women's basketball team completed Group C of the World Cup in Berlin with a perfect record after defeating Australia 80:68 on September 7. The victory against one of the strongest teams in the tournament gave Belgium first place in the group and direct qualification for the quarterfinals, without an additional elimination game. The matchup also took on a historic dimension: point guard Julie Allemand became the all-time assists leader in the history of the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. According to official FIBA data, Allemand finished the game with seven assists, increasing her career total at World Cups to 111. Belgium thus finished the group with a 3-0 record, ahead of Australia, Puerto Rico and Türkiye, confirming its status as one of the teams openly targeting a medal in Berlin.
Belgium controlled the game, Australia threatened only in the third quarter
Belgium imposed its preferred rhythm from the start, with plenty of ball movement, quick decision-making and a constant search for the open teammate. According to FIBA's official box score, Belgium won the first quarter 23:17 and went into halftime with a 40:33 lead. Australia reduced the deficit in the third period by winning that part of the game 22:20, but Belgium's defense regained control in the final ten minutes. The fourth quarter went to Belgium 20:13, bringing the game to a convincing 80:68 conclusion. FIBA's statistical overview shows that Belgium led for a total of 38 minutes and 23 seconds and that its largest advantage was 15 points, while Australia spent only 35 seconds in the lead.
Belgium also created a major difference with its three-point shooting. According to FIBA, the Belgian players made 36.8 percent of their attempts from beyond the three-point line, while Australia remained at 17.7 percent. The overall field-goal percentage was somewhat closer, 47 percent for Belgium and 44 percent for Australia, but the Belgian team made better use of open shots and free throws at key moments. Belgium shot 84.6 percent from the free-throw line, compared with Australia's 58.3 percent. That difference, combined with a calmer finish and better ball control, enabled Belgium to repel Australia's comeback attempt after the third quarter. According to official organizer data, 3,755 spectators attended the game at Berlin Arena.
Emma Meesseman once again showed why she is Belgium's central figure
Emma Meesseman produced the best individual performance for the Belgian team. FIBA states that she finished the game with 22 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, along with two steals and one block, giving her an efficiency rating of 33. Her performance was particularly important because Belgium was playing for first place in the group and to avoid an additional elimination game for a place among the final eight. After the game, Meesseman said the team was aware of the importance of the matchup with Australia and described it as Belgium's best performance of the tournament so far. FIBA highlighted her display as one of the best individual performances on the final day of the group stage.
That performance was also a response after a somewhat more modest offensive game against Puerto Rico, in which Meesseman scored six points. In the championship opener against Türkiye, she was dominant with 27 points, which according to FIBA was her personal World Cup record and also a new Belgian national-team record for points scored by one player in a World Cup game. After three games in Berlin, Meesseman is averaging 18.3 points, eight rebounds and 5.3 assists. Those numbers further explain her role in Belgium's system: she is not only the primary finishing option on offense, but also one of the team's main playmakers. Together with Allemand, Belgium has two players who can simultaneously organize the offense, find an advantage and punish the defense if it closes down too heavily toward one side of the court.
Julie Allemand broke the record previously held by Laia Palau
However, the historic moment of the game belonged to Julie Allemand. The Belgian point guard arrived in Berlin with 87 career assists at World Cups, then added another 17 in the first two games of the tournament: nine against Türkiye and eight against Puerto Rico. She therefore entered the matchup with Australia on 104 assists, and needed her fifth assist of the game to overtake the previous record holder Laia Palau. According to the Associated Press report and FIBA data, she broke the record in the first half and finished the game with seven assists. That brought her total to 111 assists at World Cups.
The previous record held by Spain's Palau was 108 assists. Behind Allemand now are also American legends Sue Bird with 107 and Dawn Staley with 103 assists, according to FIBA's historical statistics. Against Australia, Allemand added 11 points and four rebounds to her seven assists, with only one turnover in 36 minutes of play. Across the entire tournament after three appearances, she has 24 assists, an average of eight per game. For a player whose impact is often more visible in organizing the offense than in her scoring total, taking first place on the all-time list symbolically confirms her importance to the Belgian national team.
After breaking the record, Allemand emphasized that she connects the individual recognition with the way Belgium plays. In comments reported by the Associated Press, she highlighted the team's unselfishness and the fact that Belgium's offense is based on sharing the ball. Head coach Mike Thibault also emphasized the significance of the achievement, especially considering the names near the top of the historical list. FIBA also points out that Allemand already shares the record for the most assists in a single World Cup game: in 2018 against France she recorded 13, the same number achieved by Japan's Yuka Harada in 1994. The consistency of such performances across multiple tournaments explains how the 30-year-old Belgian point guard reached the top of the all-time ranking.
Three wins and a direct path into the final eight
Belgium reached first place in Group C without a defeat. In the opening round on September 4, it defeated Türkiye 89:75, two days later it beat Puerto Rico 76:64, and then completed the group stage with an 80:68 victory over Australia. According to FIBA's official standings, Belgium finished with three wins and six points, Australia was second with a 2-1 record, Puerto Rico third at 1-2, while Türkiye remained winless. That outcome is particularly important because of the championship's new format: the winners of the four groups advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams must play an additional game to reach the final eight.
For the 2026 edition of the World Cup, FIBA increased the number of teams from 12 to 16. The tournament in Berlin runs from September 4 to 13 and includes 36 games over ten days. The sixteen teams are divided into four groups of four, and after the group stage comes the quarterfinal qualification round, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place game and final. For Belgium, first place therefore also brings an important practical advantage: the team skips one elimination game and gains additional time to prepare for the quarterfinal on September 10. In a tournament schedule where games are played at short intervals, that rest can be of significant value.
According to the final-phase schedule published by FIBA, Belgium will play the winner of the Germany-South Korea matchup in the quarterfinal. That quarterfinal qualification game is scheduled for September 8 in Berlin. Germany enters the game as the tournament host, while South Korea is trying to secure its first place among the final eight at a World Cup since 2010. Belgium, meanwhile, can watch their matchup without immediate competitive pressure and prepare for both possible scenarios. It is the direct reward for three group-stage victories, particularly the success against Australia in the game that decided first place.
A victory carrying extra significance because of recent history with Australia
The matchup between Belgium and Australia carried additional significance because of their previous meetings at major competitions. At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Australia defeated Belgium 85:81 in the bronze-medal game. FIBA's report from that matchup states that Ezi Magbegor led Australia with 30 points, giving the Opals their first Olympic medal since London 2012. Two years later in Berlin, Belgium managed to reverse the balance of power in a direct matchup while limiting the Australian offense to 68 points. Magbegor was once again Australia's most prominent player, with the official FIBA box score recording an efficiency rating of 18.
Australia arrived in Berlin ranked third in the FIBA world rankings, while Belgium was fifth. In its preview of their matchup, FIBA noted that the teams had also met in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup, when Australia won 86:69, as well as in the group stage of the Tokyo Olympic Games, where Belgium won 85:70. The 80:68 victory is therefore not an isolated result, but a new chapter in the rivalry between two teams that have regularly met in important games in recent years. For Australia, the defeat means an additional route through quarterfinal qualification, where it will play Italy, while Belgium already has a guaranteed place among the final eight.
Belgium arrived in Berlin as two-time European champion
The result in Group C fits into the broader rise of Belgian women's basketball. In the team's profile, FIBA states that Belgium is making its third World Cup appearance in 2026. On its debut in 2018, it reached the semifinals and finished fourth, while in 2022 it placed fifth. Belgium has yet to win a World Cup medal, so Berlin represents another opportunity to achieve its greatest result at global level. Belgium has meanwhile built continuity on the European stage as well and in 2025 successfully defended its European championship title by defeating Spain 67:65 in the EuroBasket final.
That success also gave Belgium direct qualification for the World Cup as continental champion, although the team also took part in the qualifying tournament in Wuhan. There, according to FIBA, it recorded five wins in five games, including convincing victories against Brazil, China, Mali, South Sudan and Czechia. That run, together with the European championship titles and a perfect record in the Berlin group, shows that Belgium's current form is not the product of one good tournament. Across several competitive cycles, the team has retained its core while simultaneously developing a recognizable style based on ball movement, the versatility of its post players and the ability of its guards to create advantages.
Allemand's record reflects the identity of the entire team
Julie Allemand's record can therefore also be viewed beyond the individual statistic. In recent years, Belgium has become recognizable for an offense in which several players participate in playmaking, while Meesseman, as a post player, often assumes the role of an additional playmaker. Against Australia, that combination was particularly visible: Allemand had seven assists and Meesseman eight. When two key players can simultaneously organize the offense from different positions, it becomes significantly harder for the defense to shut down the first option without leaving space elsewhere. Belgium turned that against Australia into enough open shots and a stable offense for almost the entire game.
For Allemand, the historic record came at a moment when Belgium is entering the most important phase of the tournament. After three games, the team is unbeaten, has avoided an additional elimination matchup and enters the quarterfinal with clear confirmation that it can defeat a team from the very top of world basketball. The next test will be different because the opponent will not be known until after the Germany-South Korea matchup, but the basic task remains the same: maintain defensive discipline and continue creating quality shots through ball movement. If Belgium succeeds, it will have the opportunity to win a World Cup medal for the first time. For now, it has already secured a place among the final eight, while Allemand has secured her place in the history of the competition in Berlin.
Sources:
- FIBA - official box score of the Belgium-Australia game, result, statistics, quarters and attendance data (link)
- FIBA - official profile of Julie Allemand and statistics from her appearances at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIBA - historical overview of Julie Allemand's assists record at World Cups (link)
- FIBA - official schedule and matchups for the final phase of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FIBA - competition system and format of the 2026 World Cup with 16 teams (link)
- FIBA - Belgian national-team profile, history of appearances and context of European titles (link)
- Associated Press / The Washington Post - report on the breaking of the record and comments by Julie Allemand and Mike Thibault (link)
- FIBA - official report and result of the Belgium-Australia bronze-medal game at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games (link)