Basketball players representing their countries will be gearing up and getting ready to compete at the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup, with fans likely to tune-in in their numbers to watch some of the best players from all over the world compete.
The tournament will enter its 19th edition and will be the first one to be played across multiple nations in its history. This is because the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia won a joint-bid to host the event.
It will only be the second tournament to host 32 nations, with each of them competing for a place at the 2024 Olympic Games, which will be held in Paris, France. Only the top two teams from the Americas and Europe will qualify, as will the top team from Africa, Asia, and Oceania. France will have an automatic spot as they will host the Games next summer.
When is the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
The 2023 FIBA World Cup will take place between the end of August and the beginning of September. Games will start to be played on August 25 before the final is played on September 10.
Which teams will play in the tournament?
As highlighted, there will be a total of 32 teams taking part in this year’s competition. Four of the teams involved in this year’s edition of the event will be playing in it for the first time, with Cape Verde, South Sudan, Georgia, and Latvia all debutants.
The teams involved come from a total of four regions (with Asia and Oceania as one). As a result of the way teams are grouped, this means each region is represented well. The following breakdown highlights the number of teams from each location:
- Africa – 5 teams
- Americas – 7 teams
- Asia and Oceania – 8 teams
- Europe – 12 teams
Who are the favorites for the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
Many enjoy the eventual winner market, and the latest sport betting odds suggest the USA are clear favorites to win. They are valued at -160, while Serbia are the next best at +600. Slovenia are ranked at +900, while defending champions Spain have long odds of +1,400, thus making them a team that many do not feel can replicate their 2019 success.
What is the format for the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
All 32 teams will enter a Group Stage where they are divided into eight equal groups of four. The top two teams from each group qualify for the Second Round, while those outside of these positions will advance to the 17th-32nd Stage; all 32 teams will face one another once during this Group Stage.
The Groups are as follows:
- Group A: Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Italy
- Group B: South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
- Group C: USA, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
- Group D: Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
- Group E: Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
- Group F: Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
- Group G: Iran, Spain, Ivory Coast, Brazil
- Group H: Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
The Second Round will then begin on September 1 as the 16 teams that progress to each stage will then be placed in four equal groups of four teams. In the main part of the draw, the top two teams will progress to the quarterfinals, whereas the bottom two teams will finish their tournaments here. In the 17th-32nd stage, the teams will compete in their own groups to finish in a certain place before competing against others that finished equal to them in order to get their overall ranking.
The Final Phase of the competition will see teams compete in a knockout process, with the quarterfinals – where the losers of these games will then compete for positions 5th-8th, semifinals, a third-place final, and finals all being conducted. Each Final Phase game will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay, located in the Philippines and will take place between September 5, with the final on September 10.