Wilders won the Phygital Basketball title at the Games of the Future 2026, beating two-time champion Liga Pro Team in the final at the Qazaqstan Sports Complex in Astana. Wilders won the digital phase 19-16 and the physical phase 17-10, for a combined score of 36-26.
Liga Pro Team arrived at the final as the team to beat. It had won the previous title in Abu Dhabi in 2025 and had not lost a single match in the tournament. Wilders, a team that has competed together for more than five years, added a new coach this season who players said made the difference.
Wilders Players Credit Teamwork and New Coach
Sergey "AcademiK" Kozlov, a Wilders player, said the team's teamwork was excellent, moving the ball well, playing aggressively in the passing lanes and bringing a lot of energy. He said their two-point shooting and unpredictable style were also key. Kozlov said the physical phase was extremely demanding, with fatigue setting in from the third minute, but that their shooter, Sam, did his job, scoring no matter who defended him. He said the team did everything it could and that this time luck was on their side.
Teammate Semen "Sam" Debda said the drive to win came above all from their team name, Wilders. He said they kept pushing and gave everything in every match, and that beating the two-time champions meant a lot to them.
Valencia Basket Eliminated in the Round of 16
Valencia Basket 3x3, Spain's only representative in the discipline, was eliminated earlier in the tournament. The team, made up of Marcos Reos, Lu Zijie and Mohamed Hamed, lost to Wilders in the group stage 38-32, forcing it into a decisive round-of-16 match against host club PBC Astana.
Valencia Basket won the digital phase of that match 20-17 but fell 11-17 in the physical phase, losing the combined score 31-34. The defeat ended the team's first participation in a phygital World Championship.
Dangerous Claims Bronze Medal
In the other decisive match of the day, Dangerous won the bronze medal by beating Triada 39-36, a game decided in the final possession with two free throws.
Marko "Kolja" Koljevic, a Dangerous player, said the team came to the tournament aiming to finish among the top four and ended up on the podium. He said he believed the team deserved its place and was very happy with its performance, and thanked supporters for believing in them.
