Doha: The Qatar Men’s Basketball League for the 2025-2026 season tipped off with commanding victories for Al Rayyan and Al Sadd over Qatar SC and Al Wakrah, respectively, signaling their strong intent to compete for the title this season.
The opening round of Division One, held on Monday at Al Gharafa Sports Hall, saw Al Rayyan defeat Qatar SC 97-86 and Al Sadd overcome Al Wakrah 91-83 in two thrilling, closely contested matches that went down to the wire.
The first round continues on Wednesday, with Al Shamal facing Al Khor, followed by Al Ahli versus Al Gharafa.
Defending champions Al Arabi will sit out this round due to their participation in the West Asia Super League (WASL), where they begin their group stage campaign against Kuwait Club today in Kuwait as part of the Gulf region competition.
The second round kicks off on Thursday, with Qatar SC taking on Al Wakrah, followed by Al Arabi versus Al Sadd and Al Gharafa against Al Shamal on Saturday.
The round concludes on Monday, October 27, with a high-stakes clash between Al Rayyan and Al Ahli. The first phase of the league wraps up on Saturday, December 20, 2025, with two heavyweight encounters: Al Wakrah versus Al Arabi and Al Sadd against Al Rayyan at Al Gharafa Sports Hall.
This season introduces a revised format for the final stages (Play-In and Play-Off), designed to heighten excitement and extend competition until the last round.
In the Play-In phase, teams finishing third to sixth will compete for two semi-final spots. The third-placed team faces the fourth, with the winner advancing to challenge the second-placed team. Meanwhile, the fifth-placed team meets the sixth, and the winner takes on the loser of the third-versus-fourth matchup to determine the final semi-finalist. The semi-finals and final will follow a best-of-three format to crown the Qatar Men’s Basketball League champion for the 2025-2026 season.
