FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2026 tips off in Beijing with wins for Rytas Vilnius and Boca Juniors

The 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup got underway on September 22, 2026, at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing, with two Group Phase games opening the six-team tournament. Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania) defeated RSSB Tigers (Rwanda) 107-89 in the Group A opener, while Boca Juniors (Argentina) beat hosts Beijing Royal Fighters 88-78 in Group B, according to the official FIBA schedule.

Rytas Vilnius buries RSSB Tigers behind 16 3-points

Rytas Vilnius, the reigning Basketball Champions League Europe winners, opened its campaign with a convincing win, though the game was far tighter than the final score suggests. The Lithuanian club trailed 19-18 after the first quarter, and the RSSB Tigers went on to exchange the lead with Rytas eight times in the first half, with the score tied on eight separate occasions, according to FIBA's official recap. The Rwandan club stayed within reach until Teafale Lenard Jr and Craig Randall II each picked up their third fouls late in the first half, opening the door for Rytas to rip off a 15-0 run that gave the Lithuanians the lead for good.

From there, the margin ballooned to as many as 23 points in the second half. Eighteen-year-old Ignas Urbonas announced himself on the big stage with a highlight-reel dunk on his way to 8 points, while club legend Gytis Radzevicius marked his return to Rytas with 8 points and the best plus-minus of any player on the floor, at +30 in 19 minutes. Head coach Nedas Pacevicius got six players into double figures, led by Kay Bruhnke's 22 points and 9 rebounds, according to the official FIBA recap. Rytas drained 16 3-points overall, according to Eurobasket.com, which reported that "Rytas Vilnius overwhelmed RSSB Tigers 107-89 in FIBA Intercontinental Cup Group A play" at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing. Craig Randall II scored 20 points for the Tigers but was held to 5-of-21 shooting from the field by the Rytas defense. Group A also includes Shanghai Sharks.

Caffaro leads Boca Juniors past Beijing Royal Fighters

Boca Juniors, champions of the Basketball Champions League Americas, delivered the second win of the day by beating the hosts, building a first-half cushion that survived a late Beijing rally. The Argentine club poured in 51 points across the opening two quarters despite making just two 3-points in that span, relying instead on tempo and a steady stream of transition buckets. Boca's "big three" — Jose Vildoza, Leonardo Lema and Francisco Caffaro — combined for 30 points in the first half alone.

Beijing Royal Fighters would not go away quietly. After Boca's lead swelled to 20 points midway through the third quarter, Grant Riller scored seven straight points to pull the hosts back within 13 with seven minutes left to play. Riller finished as the game's leading scorer with 24 points, 22 of them coming in the second half, but it was not enough to complete the comeback.

Captain Francisco Caffaro was the story of the night for Boca Juniors, posting a double-double. Caffaro, who was named MVP of last season's Basketball Champions League Americas Finals, finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds despite leaving the game after 22:42 of playing time because of an injury. Ahead of the tournament, Caffaro had been highlighted alongside teammate Agustin Barreiro as one of Boca's "double-double threats," the pair having averaged a combined 22.0 points and 14.9 rebounds en route to last season's BCL Americas title. Leonardo Lema finished with a near-identical line to his captain, 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Jose Vildoza added 10 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Group B also includes Beijing Royal Fighters and NBA G League United, the American select side that reached the Intercontinental Cup final in both 2024 and 2025.

Beijing takes over hosting duties through 2028

This year's tournament marks the first time Beijing has hosted the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, opening a three-year agreement that runs from 2026 through 2028. The Chinese capital takes over from Singapore, which staged the event from 2023 to 2025. The 2026 edition is the 36th in the competition's history, which traces its roots back to 1965-1966.

Six teams are competing this year, split into two groups of three. Group A brings together Rytas Vilnius, RSSB Tigers and Shanghai Sharks, while Group B pits Boca Juniors against Beijing Royal Fighters and NBA G League United. The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals, setting up a knockout stretch to close out the competition.

Both Rytas Vilnius and Boca Juniors won their Day 1 games. The tournament continues through September 27, 2026, with the semifinals still to come.