Belgium Is a Different Level of Test
Germany can celebrate history, but the tournament becomes considerably harder from here.
Belgium advanced directly to the quarterfinals after winning Group C and arrives as the reigning European champion. The Belgian Cats possess one of international basketball’s premier players in Emma Meesseman and will represent a significant step up from Germany’s previous three opponents.
The matchup also carries recent history. Belgium defeated Germany at EuroBasket Women 2025, giving the hosts an opportunity for revenge on the World Cup stage.
Elsewhere in the bracket, Hungary defeated Japan 84-63 on Tuesday and will face the four-time defending champion United States in another Thursday quarterfinal. China-Puerto Rico and Australia-Italy will determine the remaining two quarterfinalists on Wednesday.
For Germany, however, the immediate story is bigger than the next opponent.
Four days after a 30-point defeat threatened to turn a home World Cup into a major disappointment, the Germans have won three consecutive games and reached territory the women’s national team had never reached before.
The hosts are in the World Cup quarterfinals.
And after the way they have responded in Berlin, Belgium will know it is facing a team with momentum.