Elche will host the Endesa Minicopa for children
The Minicopa Endesa arrives in Elche from November 27 to 29 with 16 youth teams competing for the six available spots in the final phase. The competition will be free, and all matches will be broadcast through the official ACB channel on YouTube.
The Spanish youth basketball scene will experience a historic event in Elche. The city will host, for the first time, the initial phase of the Minicopa Endesa, a tournament that brings together the best young talents from the country representing the main clubs of the ACB. This event is the result of an agreement reached between the ACB and the Generalitat Valenciana for the Comunitat Valenciana to be the venue for significant national competitions, including the Copa del Rey 2026 — already held — and that of 2027.
The competition will take place at the Sara Marín and María Díez pavilion, located on Rojales street. Admission will be completely free, allowing fans of all ages to enjoy matches with a high level of technical skill. Additionally, the live broadcast through the ACB's official YouTube channel will enable following all matches without geographical limitations, democratizing access to this youth tournament.
Structure and participants in the Minicopa Endesa
A total of 16 youth teams will compete for a place in the final phase. However, two teams have already secured their spots: Valencia Basket, as the host, and Real Madrid, as the current champion of the competition. The remaining 14 teams will fight for the six additional available spots.
The participants are distributed among four balanced groups. The Group A consists of Casademont Zaragoza, Bàsquet Girona, Bilbao Basket, and MoraBanc Andorra. The Group B is made up of Unicaja, Joventut Badalona, Cochesinternet Lleida, and Leyma Coruña. The Group C includes Cajasiete Fundación CB Canarias, Kids&Us Manresa, Río Breogán, and San Pablo Burgos Aspuru. Finally, the Group D contains Barça, UCAM Murcia Polymec, Baskonia, and Indupanel Obradoiro.
The format of the competition is the usual one for this tournament: each team faces the other three in their group in round-robin matches. The top team from each group directly qualifies for the final phase. The runners-up will have a second chance in the Play-In on Sunday the 29th, where the last two available spots will be decided in single elimination matches.
Schedule of the Minicopa Endesa Elche 2026
The competition will kick off on Friday, November 27, at 9:00 AM. The first match will see Bàsquet Girona face MoraBanc Andorra on Court 2. The opening day will feature 12 matches, concluding at 7:15 PM with the clash between Cochesinternet Lleida and Joventut Badalona on Court 1. Matches will be distributed between both courts to optimize the progression of the competition.
On Saturday, November 28, the remaining 12 group phase matches will take place, also starting at 9:00 AM. This day's finale will arrive at 7:15 PM with the match between Indupanel Obradoiro and UCAM Murcia Polymec. This day will complete the first round of all groups, approaching the definition of the qualified teams.
On Sunday, November 29, the conclusion of the competition will occur on Court 1. At 10:00 AM, the first Play-In match will feature the second-placed team from Group A against that from Group B. At 12:00 PM, the second Play-In match will pit the second from Group C against that from Group D. Finally, at 1:45 PM, the medal ceremony will take place, thus wrapping up a weekend of top-level youth basketball.
Access to the final phase in Valencia
The reward for the qualified teams will be participation in the final phase of the Minicopa Endesa, which will be held in Valencia from February 17 to 21, 2027. This phase will gather the eight best teams of the tournament, consolidating Valencia's position as the epicenter of national basketball during these years. The opportunity to play in the capital of the Comunitat Valenciana represents recognition of each club's youth development work and a springboard for young talents aspiring to professionalize in the sport.
Importance of the Minicopa Endesa in youth development
The Minicopa Endesa is much more than just a youth tournament. It is a platform where the future stars of Spanish basketball emerge, allowing technical directors and scouts from major European clubs to identify and evaluate the best talents in the developmental age. Each edition of the tournament has served as a starting point for careers that later transcended to a professional level.
The arrival of this competition in Elche reinforces the commitment of the Comunitat Valenciana to position itself as a reference point for significant national and international basketball events. The agreement between the ACB and the Generalitat Valenciana includes the organization of multiple events in the coming years, transforming the region into a key destination for the development of Spanish basketball across all categories.
The live broadcast ensures that fans from all over Spain can follow the development of these matches, getting to know the new talents that will make up the next generation of professional players. This democratized access to the competition strengthens the ACB's commitment to transparency and accessibility in youth basketball.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Elche acogerá la Minicopa Endesa infantil
