Belgium Women — Germany Women, FIBA World Cup Women

Germany Women beat Belgium Women 93 to 74 in the opening round of the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup on Thursday in Montreal. The visitors took control early and never looked back, while the hosts paid for a sloppy opening quarter. We'd called this one beforehand — Germany were fancied to win, and the confidence we placed in them held up. To be fair, Belgium started with energy, but Germany's length and spacing made life difficult from the jump. The visitors extended their unbeaten run to eight across all competitions, while Belgium's recent form — five straight wins — came to an abrupt halt. By then, the game was already slipping away from the hosts. Germany shot 31 percent from three-point range compared to Belgium's 17, and their 41 rebounds to 30 told the story of control on both ends. The visitors recorded 19 assists on 31 made field goals, while Belgium managed 20 assists on 29. Germany's defensive presence was evident too — three blocks to Belgium's two, and they limited turnovers to just seven. Belgium had been rolling before this match, winning five consecutive games including victories over Turkey and Puerto Rico. Germany arrived with a mixed record, losing to Spain and narrowly missing against Turkey on their recent run. But against a Belgian side that had found its rhythm, the visitors showed why they're considered among the tournament favourites. The result leaves Germany top of their group on paper, while Belgium will need to regroup quickly. The 19-point margin suggests the gap between these sides is wider than anyone expected. Cup football has its own rules, but in basketball, the better team usually shows it early — and Germany made that clear on Thursday.