Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- Germany's women's basketball team plays European champion Belgium in the World Cup quarterfinal on Thursday, live from 5:15 PM on MagentaTV and MagentaSport.
Germany enters the match on a three-game winning streak
The German team beat Japan, Mali, and South Korea in the group stage, building momentum ahead of the knockout round in Berlin. Head coach Olaf Lange told MagentaSport he is "very positively excited" about the team's growth, crediting the run of wins for boosting squad cohesion.
Belgium beat Germany by 30 points at EuroBasket 2025
Lange called Thursday's game a chance to move past that result, describing Belgium as an experienced, tactically detailed opponent with a different playing style than Germany's group-stage rivals. His plan: play with tempo to avoid getting caught out by the shot clock, and attack beyond Belgium's first line of defense.
Three other quarterfinals complete the field on Thursday
The day opens at 11:20 AM with top favorite USA against Hungary, followed by China against France at 2:20 PM. Australia meets Spain at 8:30 PM; Australia's coach, Sandy Brondello, is married to German coach Olaf Lange.
China and Australia secured their spots with dramatic wins
China beat Puerto Rico 75-72, with Han Xu recording a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds. Teammate Zhang Ziyu, at 2.23 meters, continued drawing attention by scoring against triple-teams. Australia edged Italy 82-80 after Italy erased a 26-point deficit, missing a potential game-tying layup in the final second.
MagentaSport is broadcasting 23 World Cup matches
All quarterfinals air live Thursday, with semifinals on Saturday and the third-place game and final on Sunday, September 13. The broadcast team includes commentators Alexander Frisch and Jakob Lobach, with Steffi Blochwitz hosting alongside analysts Ireti Amojo and Per Günther. MagentaSport also carries the FIBA 3x3 Europe Cup from Antwerp, Friday through Sunday.