USA return to the top: Americans claim ninth FIBA U19 World Cup title

(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
USA Wins Record Ninth Title at FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025

Lausanne (Switzerland): The USA U19 basketball team reclaimed their global dominance by winning the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025, defeating Germany 109-76 in a commanding Final at Lausanne Arena.

A crowd of more than 7,200 fans watched the Americans deliver a decisive 22-2 run in the second half, sealing their record ninth championship trophy.

Balanced Scoring Secures Victory

Morez Johnson Jr. led the USA with 15 points, but the real strength was the team’s depth, with six players scoring in double figures.

The victory also marked a redemption for Team USA, who had finished fourth in the 2023 edition. This year, they proudly called themselves the “Redeem Team” — and lived up to the name.

Germany, meanwhile, celebrated their best-ever performance in the tournament by reaching the Final. Hannes Steinbach scored 19 points in the loss.

AJ Dybantsa Named MVP

Rising star AJ Dybantsa was crowned the TISSOT Most Valuable Player (MVP). In the Final, he contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists, finishing the tournament with averages of 14.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.

Dybantsa was joined in the SwissBorg All-Star Five by:

• Mikel Brown Jr. (USA)

• Christian Anderson (Germany)

• Hannes Steinbach (Germany)

• Zak Smrekar (Slovenia)

Other Honors and Awards

• Best Defensive Player: Jordan Smith Jr. (USA)

• Best Coach: Danijel Radosavljevic (Slovenia)

• All-Second Team: Jordan Charles (Canada), Tama Isaac (New Zealand), Dayan Nessah (Switzerland), Roman Siulepa (Australia), Tyler Kropp (Argentina).

Slovenia Secures Historic Podium Finish

In the Third Place Game, Slovenia defeated New Zealand 91-87 in a thrilling contest. Zak Smrekar and Vit Hrabar scored 20 points each, while Urban Kroflic posted a standout 19 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 assists.

This was Slovenia’s first-ever podium finish at a global basketball event.

Final Standings – FIBA U19 World Cup 2025

1. USA 🥇

2. Germany 🥈

3. Slovenia 🥉

4. New Zealand

5. Canada

6. Australia

7. Israel

8. Switzerland

9. Serbia

10. France

11. Mali

12. Argentina

13. China

14. Cameroon

15. Dominican Republic

16. Jordan