2027 Basketball World Cup (formerly the World Championship)
David Chelly, January 21, 2026
The FIBA Basketball World Cup, formerly known as the Men's Basketball World Championship, is held every four years between the Summer Olympic Games. In 2027, it takes place from August 27 to September 12 in Qatar, with 32 teams competing for the trophy awarded to the winner, the Naismith Trophy, named after the inventor of basketball.
First held in 1950, the competition has grown over the decades, moving from a smaller format to a highly international World Cup. The United States remains the most successful nation, even though the hierarchy is more varied today, with European and South American teams capable of going all the way in a short tournament.
Venue of the 2027 World Cup
The 2027 World Cup is organized in Qatar. It is the first edition held in the Arab world and the continuation of an Asian sequence following the 2023 edition co-hosted by Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.
Dates of the 2027 World Cup
The tournament runs from Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, September 12, 2027. This late-summer window has become a classic slot for the World Cup, ahead of the start of the major league seasons and during a period well suited to national team gatherings.
2027 World Cup qualification
Qualifying is spread across several windows between November 2025 and March 2027, with six rounds of matches. It involves 80 nations across all FIBA zones, of which 32 teams qualify for the final phase. The host country qualifies automatically, leaving 31 places to be distributed through the continental qualifying pathways.
Which team has won the most World Cups
The United States is the most successful team in the FIBA World Cup. Historically, the former Yugoslavia also ranks among the top nations, but its titles belong to a nation that no longer exists in that form, which makes historical comparisons less straightforward depending on how they are counted.
See also
https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027