Leaders Cup 2026: Monaco – Strasbourg, ASVEL – Cholet… the draw is known

The Leaders Cup 2026 is taking shape. Organized in Poitiers from February 20 to 22, the LNB mid-season competition unveiled this Thursday, January 15, the quarterfinal matchups. Between potential EuroLeague clashes in the semifinals, duels between regulars, and confrontations loaded with recent history, the tournament promises to be particularly open.

Very competitive quarterfinals

The first quarterfinal, at 1 PM, will pit the 2023 edition winner, ASVEL, against Cholet Basket, a team always difficult to maneuver in this type of short-format competition. Eliminated from the BCL since January 14, the Maugeois will want to pull off the first upset of the Poitiers weekend.

Next, at 3:30 PM, AS Monaco Basket and SIG Strasbourg. After an interesting start to the season, the Alsatians who are not playing European competition this summer will want to do like Bourg in 2023, at the same stage, by pulling off the surprise in the quarterfinals. But the Monegasques, who have been chasing their first Leaders Cup victory since 2019, do not want to let this first trophy slip away.

Rematches and stated ambitions

At 6 PM, Nanterre 92, 2024 finalist, will face Le Mans Sarthe Basket, defending champion after their 2025 title in Caen. A matchup between two outsiders, who play intense and modern basketball, with strong rebounding commitment. A duel notably between two rising technicians of French basketball, Guillaume Vizade and Julien Mahé.

Finally, Paris Basketball, winner of the 2024 edition, will challenge JL Bourg, 2023 finalist. A duel between two clubs established among the recent French basketball references, with a real sporting rivalry that has been built in recent seasons. However, the Parisians are on a ten-game winning streak against the Bressans, including the two victories in the 2024 EuroCup final. During the last Parisian success against the Burgiens, in November at Ekinox, coach Frédéric Fauthoux had criticized his opponents’ attitude. Enough to create a desire for revenge in his players?

« They touched us enormously, they started talking, being arrogant. I found it very borderline but apparently, everything is accepted now. »

The quarterfinals of the Leaders Cup 2026:

• Quarterfinal 1: ASVEL vs Cholet Basket, at 1 PM

• Quarterfinal 2: AS Monaco Basket vs SIG Strasbourg, at 3:30 PM

• Quarterfinal 3: Nanterre 92 vs Le Mans Sarthe Basket, at 6 PM

• Quarterfinal 4: Paris Basketball vs JL Bourg, at 9 PM

The winners of quarterfinals 1 and 2 will face each other in the semifinals on Saturday, as will the winners of quarterfinals 3 and 4.

The ELITE 2 final on Sunday

In addition to the Betclic ELITE Leaders Cup, the ELITE 2 Leaders Cup final will take place on Sunday afternoon. Three teams are already qualified for the semifinals: Blois, Orléans and Roanne. Four others will compete for the last ticket during the 19th round, this weekend, namely Denain, La Rochelle, Châlons-Reims and Vichy. While the semifinals will be played in home-and-away matches in the arenas of the four qualifiers, the final will take place in Poitiers. Unlike editions until 2024, the winner is not qualified for the promotion playoffs. This title is therefore purely honorary. In 2025, Orléans beat Boulazac in the final.

La Chaîne L’Équipe will broadcast part of the Leaders Cup 2026

While DAZN will broadcast the entire Leaders Cup 2026 in Poitiers, including the Elite 2 final on Sunday, three matches will also be broadcast free on La Chaîne L’Équipe:

• The quarterfinal between Paris and JL Bourg on Friday evening at 9 PM
• The first semifinal on Saturday at 6:30 PM
• The final on Sunday at 7 PM