Spain powered past Switzerland with a 21-17 win for their maiden men’s title at the 3x3 basketball World Cup 2025 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, on Sunday (29 June).
The match was a tight affair in the opening salvos before Spain got their noses in front to take a three-point lead (5-2).
The Swiss closed the gap to get within one point, but the Spanish, led by Diego De Blas, powered back to extend their lead to six.
Spain held off a late charge by Switzerland in the dying minutes of the match as they got within two points (18-16). De Blas contributed 12 points to his team’s score.
Six-time champions Serbia were stopped in their tracks in the semi-finals by a rampant Switzerland. The Swiss team steamrolled the defending champions with a 21-11 rout in the semi-final to march into their maiden final.
Serbia walked away with the bronze medal as a consolation prize as they wiped out a five-point deficit for a 21-16 win.
The Netherlands end the Mongolian Cinderella story
Mongolia’s Cinderella story ended in defeat in the women’s final, with the Netherlands winning their maiden title with a 15-9 triumph. The hosts marched into the final following historic wins over defending champions the United States in the quarter-final before beating Poland in the semis.
The final was a bridge too far for the tenacious Mongolians as the Dutch team took control early in the contest with a 6-1 lead. Mongolia looked poised to launch a fightback halfway into the match. The Netherlands remained undaunted however as they kept the hosts at an arm’s length for their first World Cup title.
In the bronze-medal match, Canada was firing on all cylinders as they denied Poland their best-ever finish at the global showpiece. Canada stormed to a five-point lead and continued to build on that advantage for a commanding 21-9 victory.

Published Date:2025-06-30