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The French U20 men's team returns from Ljubljana empty-handed. Three days after a semi-final lost by a narrow margin against host nation Slovenia, the Bleuets fell again this Sunday, dominated by Spain 65 to 54 in the third-place match of the EuroBasket 2026. A defeat that leaves a bitter taste, as the overall scenario of the competition had suggested a happier outcome for the generation led by Guillaume Vizade. Vice-champions of Europe in 2024, the Bleuets openly aimed for the podium and leave just short of it, a cruel fourth place to absorb after two knockout matches lost in three days.
The French coach had nevertheless seen things correctly at the start of the match. His players quickly took the lead, building up to a six-point advantage in the first quarter thanks to an aggressive defense that disrupted the Spanish rotations and caused turnovers. La Roja, old hands at knockout matches and accustomed to such occasions, did not fall apart. Carried by renewed outside shooting after a sluggish start and a fierce presence on the offensive glass, they chipped away at the deficit methodically before taking the lead before halftime. A scenario that cruelly recalled the semi-final against Slovenia, where the French had also led the proceedings before collapsing in the final possessions to lose 91 to 89, despite an exceptional performance from Maïdy Douglas who scored 32 points.
The French coach had nevertheless seen things correctly at the start of the match.
The third quarter saw the gap stabilize around eight points, without France finding the offensive resources to reverse the momentum. The deeper Spanish rotations imposed a choppy rhythm that completely disrupted the French transition game, one of the Bleuets' main weapons since the start of the tournament. Physically and mentally drained by Friday's disappointment, Vizade's players struggled to convert their drives into easy baskets, while La Roja turned every second chance into valuable points on the offensive glass.
The final quarter and Maïdy Douglas's exit
The end of the match changed nothing about the picture. Against a disciplined Roja, the Bleuets never found the right offensive gear, stringing together clumsy possessions and avoidable turnovers. Maïdy Douglas, already huge two days earlier against Slovenia with 32 points, finished the game with a much more modest tally, as the Spanish defense tightened its rotations around him. This new underperformance deprives France of a first European podium at the U20 level since 2022, and of a strong symbol ahead of the senior international window next summer.
Beyond the score, long-range shooting made the difference: La Roja finished at over forty percent from behind the arc, compared to only six made three-pointers on twenty-two attempts for the French side.
Prospects for the French 2006 generation
Still, the overall tournament record is not a rout. The Bleuets' journey, marked by four wins in six matches before the double elimination, shows a generation that holds its place in the European hierarchy. Several key players, including Maïdy Douglas, are already part of rotations in Betclic Élite clubs or high-level NCAA programs, and should feature in the senior French team's rotation within two summers. The next step in their development will be a U22 EuroBasket in 2027, the first major event before the Olympic qualifiers.
The priority area for improvement will remain three-point shooting, a recurring weakness for this generation. Disappointment dominates in the short term, but the experience gained in Ljubljana provides a useful foundation for the challenges ahead.