Germany and Hungary in the World Cup quarterfinals; Hungarian women among the final eight after 40 years
Germany and Hungary secured qualification for the quarterfinals of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin on September 8, doing so in highly convincing fashion. The host nation defeated South Korea 94:56, while Hungary beat Japan 84:63 and reached the world's top eight teams for the first time since 1986. For Germany, the achievement is even greater because, according to FIBA data, this is the first World Cup quarterfinal in the history of the country's senior women's national team. Hungary will play the defending champions, the United States of America, on September 10, while Germany will face reigning European champion Belgium. Both games will be played at Berlin Arena, where the final stage of the championship is taking place in front of the home crowd.
The two victories in the qualification round for the quarterfinals also confirmed the different paths by which Germany and Hungary reached the greatest achievements of their current generations on the world stage. After a heavy defeat to Spain at the start of the tournament, Germany gradually raised its level of play and controlled all 40 minutes against South Korea. Hungary, on the other hand, had to respond to a strong comeback by its opponents in the second quarter against Japan, but after the break it re-established control on defense and on the boards. In its post-game reports, FIBA emphasized the historic dimension of both results: Hungary returned to the final eight after four decades, while Germany opened the door to the quarterfinals for the first time.
Germany took complete control against South Korea from 8:8
Germany opened the game against South Korea with focus, aware that against a team relying on speed, off-ball movement and outside shooting, it could not allow its opponent to find an early rhythm. According to the German Basketball Federation's report, head coach Olaf Lange placed particular emphasis on defending the three-point line, and after a brief tie at 8:8 the host team began to pull away. Frieda Bühner hit an important three-pointer for 11:8, and Germany finished the first quarter with a 23:14 lead. The advantage continued to grow in the second period, although South Korea at one point closed the gap to 27:22. Germany responded by playing through the interior positions, controlling the rebounds and producing a series of quality plays from Marie Gülich, making it 46:29 by halftime.
The third quarter effectively removed any remaining uncertainty. FIBA's official score sheet shows that Germany won the period 22:11 and led 68:40 after 30 minutes. South Korea continued to look for opportunities from outside, but could not find the shooting percentage needed to pose a serious threat. According to FIBA statistics, South Korea finished the game shooting 35 percent from the field and 25.9 percent from three-point range, while Germany was particularly efficient inside the arc, converting 62.8 percent of its two-point attempts. The final quarter ended 26:16 for the hosts, meaning the final score of 94:56 also represented the largest margin of the game. Germany led for almost the entire contest, and FIBA recorded a maximum advantage of 38 points.
Germany's leading scorer was Marie Gülich with 19 points, while Bühner added 17. Luisa Geiselsöder scored 12, Nyara Sabally 10, while Leonie Fiebich finished with eight points, ten rebounds, four assists and three blocks, according to FIBA data. Fiebich's contribution beyond scoring itself has been one of the important elements of Germany's rise through the tournament: after the victory, FIBA highlighted her role in organizing the offense, defense and controlling the tempo. Official figures also list 6,227 spectators at Berlin Arena, further strengthening the sense of home-court advantage in a game that went only in one direction from the middle of the second quarter onward.
From defeat against Spain to the first quarterfinal in history
Germany's result carries particular weight when the beginning of the championship is taken into account. Olaf Lange's team opened Group A with a 53:83 defeat to Spain, after which it responded with victories over Japan 74:58 and Mali 83:58. That secured second place in the group and a place in the qualification game for the quarterfinals against South Korea, the third-placed team from Group B. According to FIBA, the 2026 tournament is the first Women's Basketball World Cup with an expanded format of 16 national teams: the winners of the four groups advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams play an additional elimination round. Germany secured its historic qualification precisely through this new phase of the competition.
FIBA states that the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup is being held from September 4 to 13 in Berlin and that this is the 20th edition of the most important international competition in women's basketball. Germany is hosting for the second time, after the 1998 championship, but had never reached the quarterfinals before this tournament. For that reason, the victory over South Korea is not merely the successful clearing of an elimination hurdle, but also Germany's best result at a World Cup. Following the game, according to a German Basketball Federation release, Lange particularly emphasized discipline and concentration on defense and stressed that the defensive approach was the foundation of the victory. Germany now enters the quarterfinals with three consecutive victories following its opening defeat and in a completely different mood from the start of the tournament.
Hungary resisted Japan's comeback and broke the game open after halftime
From the start against Japan, Hungary showed that it wanted to slow the opponent's tempo and limit one of the most dangerous shooting teams in the tournament. According to the Hungarian Basketball Federation's report, Agnes Studer opened the game with a three-pointer, and Hungary took a 7:0 lead before Japan scored its first points. Hungary finished the first quarter ahead 20:12 and increased the margin to 24:12 and then 32:19 early in the second. Japan nevertheless found an answer: with a 15:2 run, it tied the game at 34:34 late in the first half. Studer then hit a three-pointer that sent Hungary into the break with a 37:34 lead, which proved to be an important psychological moment in the game.
After halftime, Hungary re-established control. Virág Takács-Kiss hit a three-pointer, Réka Lelik continued to punish the Japanese defense, and the lead returned to double digits. Hungary won the third quarter 21:11 and entered the final ten minutes ahead 58:45. Japan was unable to repeat its comeback from the second period, while Hungary increased the margin down the stretch until the final 84:63 score. FIBA statistics show a clear difference in shooting efficiency: Hungary made 50 percent of all field-goal attempts and 44 percent of its three-pointers, while Japan remained at 32 percent from the field and 21.2 percent from three-point range. Hungary led for 39 minutes and 39 seconds, while its largest advantage was 23 points.
Réka Lelik played one of her best games in a national-team jersey and, with 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists, received FIBA's Player of the Game recognition. Her efficiency rating was 32, one of the highest in the tournament up to that point. Takács-Kiss added 17 points and eight rebounds, Studer 11, and Dorka Juhász 10 points. Interestingly, Hungary did not earn such an important victory exclusively through Juhász, its most prominent interior player, but with a considerably broader distribution of offensive responsibility. It was precisely that variety, along with control of the rebounds and significantly better outside shooting than Japan, that enabled Hungary to survive the only serious crisis of the game.
The game also featured a worrying moment immediately before halftime. Associated Press reported that Japanese shooting guard Saki Hayashi had to leave the court because of a serious injury to her right arm after an awkward fall. Medical staff immediately provided assistance, while the crowd applauded her as she left. Immediately after the game, no official medical diagnosis had been announced, so the nature of the injury had not been confirmed. The sporting part of the contest continued after the interruption, but the injury to one of Japan's important players remained one of the most difficult scenes of the evening.
Hungary returns to the final eight for the first time since 1986
For Hungary, qualification for the quarterfinals is particularly significant because of the long period without such a result. FIBA states that the national team had not been among the top eight at a World Cup since 1986, and it returned to the tournament in 2026 after its previous appearance in 1998. In Berlin, it began with a heavy 53:99 defeat to France, but then recovered with victories over Nigeria 71:67 and South Korea 82:73. Second place in Group B brought an elimination game against Japan, the third-placed team in Group A, and with an 84:63 victory the Hungarian national team turned a good group stage into a historic result.
After the game, Lelik told Associated Press that the feeling was incredible and pointed out that Hungary had not been in the quarterfinals for forty years. The historical context is reinforced by the fact that Hungary last faced the USA at a World Cup precisely in 1986. FIBA's head-to-head database shows that the Americans won 78:63 on that occasion and have four victories in four recorded senior meetings at major FIBA competitions overall. Hungary now enters the matchup without favorite status, but with three consecutive victories and considerably greater confidence than after its heavy defeat to France at the start of the championship.
USA is the heavy favorite, but Hungary has weapons inside
Hungary's quarterfinal opponent will be the United States of America, the four-time consecutive world champion and the most successful national team in the history of the competition. FIBA states that the USA has 11 world titles, including the gold medal won in Sydney in 2022, and is trying to claim a fifth consecutive gold in Berlin. The Americans advanced directly to the quarterfinals as Group D winners. In the group stage, they defeated China 94:61, Italy 55:52 and Czechia 105:64, with the close game against Italy in particular showing that even the dominant defending champion is not untouchable on every night of the tournament. After that game, FIBA stated that 55 points was the lowest American scoring total at a World Cup since the introduction of the three-point line in 1984.
In its quarterfinal preview, FIBA identifies Dorka Juhász, the EuroLeague MVP, and captain Virág Takács-Kiss as Hungary's key strengths. The American national team has exceptional depth at the interior positions, including Breanna Stewart, Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese, so Hungary will find it difficult to build its game solely around physical play in the paint. FIBA also points to Hungary's average of 21.5 turnovers per game, which could prove decisive against the American defense and transition attack. On the other hand, Hungary has shot slightly better from three-point range than the USA so far in the tournament, and against Japan it showed that it can win an important game even when Juhász is not the leading scorer. For Péter Völgyi's team, the keys will be reducing turnovers, slowing the American tempo and maintaining efficiency from outside.
Germany faces Belgium, the reigning European champion
Germany will play Belgium in the quarterfinals on September 10, a national team that advanced directly to the final eight as the winner of Group C. The German Basketball Federation states that the game is scheduled to begin at 17:45 local time in Berlin. Belgium enters the matchup as the reigning European champion and as a team that defeated Puerto Rico, Australia and Türkiye in the group stage. For Germany, this will be a considerably more demanding test than the game against South Korea, particularly because of Belgium's quality in playmaking, experience in the closing stages of major competitions and physical strength inside.
Nevertheless, the hosts enter the quarterfinals with several reasons for optimism. Bühner has found her offensive rhythm after a more modest opening game against Spain, Gülich dominated the paint against South Korea, and Fiebich influences games even when her shooting is not her primary weapon. In three consecutive victories, Germany has shown that it can win in different styles, from controlling the rebounds to aggressive perimeter defense. The home crowd will be an additional factor, having already created a powerful atmosphere in the qualification game. Following the first quarterfinal appearance in history, Germany is no longer playing only to set another placement record, but also to enter the medal-contending stage.
The new championship format immediately produced win-or-go-home games
The results of Germany and Hungary are also examples of how the new FIBA World Cup system has changed the dynamics of the tournament. Instead of the 12 national teams that competed in Australia in 2022, 16 teams are taking part in Berlin, divided into four groups of four. Only the winner of each group earns direct qualification for the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-placed teams must play an additional elimination game. This means that a very good group-stage performance does not guarantee a place among the top eight, something Germany and Hungary experienced after finishing second in their respective groups. Both teams, however, played at a level in their first win-or-go-home game that carried them into the group of the tournament's best national teams.
The remaining qualification-round games will be played on September 9, when Puerto Rico faces China and Italy plays Australia. The winner of Puerto Rico versus China will face France, while the winner of Italy versus Australia will meet Spain in the quarterfinals. That will complete the lineup of the championship's top eight teams, with all quarterfinals scheduled for September 10 in Berlin. The semifinals will be played on September 12, while the third-place game and final are scheduled for September 13. After a historic September 8, Germany and Hungary have already achieved results that change their positions in their respective national basketball histories, but the next step brings opponents from the very top of world and European basketball.
Sources:
- FIBA – official score sheet and statistics for Germany – South Korea (link)
- FIBA – official score sheet and statistics for Hungary – Japan (link)
- FIBA – explanation of the new 2026 World Cup format and the quarterfinal qualification system (link)
- FIBA – overview of the 2026 World Cup, competition history and data on USA titles (link)
- FIBA – preview of the USA – Hungary quarterfinal and statistical context of the matchup (link)
- German Basketball Federation (DBB) – report on the 94:56 victory, statements and performances of the German players (link)
- Hungarian Basketball Federation (MKOSZ) – report on the 84:63 victory and the course of the game against Japan (link)
- Associated Press / Sportsnet – Réka Lelik's statement and report on Saki Hayashi's injury (link)