The FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Basketball World Cup is a prestigious tournament that showcases the best basketball talent from around the globe. It takes place every four years and features teams from various countries competing for the ultimate prize of becoming world champions in basketball. We will go over the crucial talking points concerning the world tournament in this article so if you are interested then this is where all your questions will get answered.
When and where is the World Cup taking place?
The upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023 will be hosted jointly by three nations: Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines starting from August 25, 2023. This collaboration between these countries reflects their shared passion for basketball and commitment to promoting the sport on a global scale.
The decision to have multiple hosts ensures that each nation can contribute its unique aspect to the tournament, creating a diverse and vibrant atmosphere for players and fans alike.
How many teams are competing in this prestigious tournament?
32 teams are taking part in this year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup. The 32 teams are alloted in eight groups of four teams.
Groups A and B will play their Matches in Manila in the Araneta Coliseum. Meanwhile, Groups C and D will play their games in Manila, Philippines in the Mall of Asia arena.
The Okinawa Arena will host Group E and F games, and the newly established Indonesia Arena will host Group G and H games.
What is the Format of the tournament?
The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup will feature a standard first round where group teams will play against other teams which are part of their group. This will continue until each team has played the other nations in their group. A total of six games will be played per group, totalling to 48 games.
Let us understand this explanation with a simple example. Group A, like seven other groups, consists of 4 teams. Each team will play the other three teams on different given dates. Teams that get eliminated from the group stage will then play two classification games to secure their respective position from spot 17 to spot 32.
The second round, more commonly known as the round of 16 will include four groups consisting of the top two qualifiers from each of the previous eight groups. The top two finishers from each of the four groups will then enter the quarter-finals and the teams eliminated will also play two classification games for spots 5 to 8.
The next round will feature Semi-finals or ½ finals as per FIBA and eventually the finals.
Who are some of the Favorites to win this year’s World Cup?
The United States are currently the betting favorites by multiple sports betting websites such as DraftKings, Fanduel, and bet365 to lift the trophy on September 10. It would be then obvious not to count out Spain as they are the defending champions going into the tournament.
Notable European teams like Serbia, Slovenia, and Greece led by Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, and Giannis Antetokunmpo will also be competing for bragging rights as these teams contain some of the best European and world basketball talents.
The list of the FIBA World Cup 2023 odds is as follows:
USA
Serbia
Greece
Slovenia
France
Australia
Spain
Canada
Germany
Lithuania
Italy
Brazil.
How to watch this year’s Men’s FIBA World Cup?
The fast-paced basketball action will be available in certain countries via FIBA’s Streaming service. Those excited to watch the global event on ESPN can feel satisfied as FIBA and ESPN announced a rights agreement for streaming the world cup. All 92 games will be available to view on ESPN2 and ESPN+.
North America
Fans in Canada can catch the live-action on Sportsnet. U.S. viewers can watch the tournament on ESPN as well.
Latin America
Latin American nations such as Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Uruguay, Mexico and the rest of Latin America will be able to watch the FIBA world cup on the Torneos network.
Europe
Viewers in France can watch the event on beIN sports. Basketball enthusiasts in Slovenia and Turkey can enjoy watching the world cup on Saran media.
Those in Germany can watch the world cup on Magenta Sport, Italian basketball fans will be able to watch the tournament live on eleven sports, and those in Poland will get to watch the world cup on TVP.
In Spain, the preferred network to enjoy elite basketball action will be RTVE. Sweden and Finland fans can watch the world cup SVT and Nelonen media respectively.
Viewers in the Czech Republic will get to watch the FIBA world cup on CT (Czech television), and Saran media.
The Baltic nations, i.e. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania can watch the world cup games on TV3.
Middle East and North Africa
Basketball fans in this part of the world will watch the world cup on beIN Sports. In Lebanon, the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International (LBCI) holds the broadcasting rights for the men’s FIBA world cup.
Australia
Australian fans can get to cheer for their team in this year’s world cup on ESPN Australia.
Basketball fans worldwide will be treated to a captivating knockout stage which will consist of single-elimination matches. The stakes are higher as teams will compete fiercely for survival and advancement in the pursuit of becoming World Champions. As late August approaches, anticipation builds among basketball enthusiasts eager to witness how these three dynamic host nations - Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines - unite their passions for sportsmanship and hospitality in creating a remarkable FIBA Basketball World Cup experience.
FAQs
A: For the first time in history, three countries will be playing host for the FIBA Basketball world cup. Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia are this year’s hosts.
A: Spain. The Spanish national basketball team beat Argentina to become world champions.
A: USA has the most men’s FIBA world titles with five wins. The former Yugoslavia also held five titles.
