FIBA (International Basketball Federation) recently conducted at its headquarters in Mies, Switzerland, the draws for the four region, 80-nation 2021-23 FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournaments, and the USA men were drawn into the Americas Qualifier preliminary round Group D with Cuba, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The draw ceremony consisted of draws for FIBA’s four regions – Africa, Americas, Asia/Oceania and Europe.

The United States is scheduled to open play facing Cuba at home (U.S. site TBA) on Nov. 26, 2021, and then play at Cuba on Nov. 29, 2021. The second preliminary round window features the USA playing home (U.S. site TBA) against Puerto Rico on Feb. 24, 2022, and at Mexico on Feb. 27, 2022.  The third and final preliminary round window sees the USA play on the road versus Puerto Rico on July 1, 2022, and at home (U.S. site TBA) against Mexico on July 4, 2022.   

Players selected to represent the USA in the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifying games are expected to again primarily be from the NBA G League, and will be selected by the USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team Committee.

Featuring 16 national teams from North, South and Central America and the Caribbean, the FIBA World Cup Qualifying Tournament for the Americas zone features four preliminary round groups, each group consists of four teams.

In addition to Group D, the composition of the three other Americas qualifying groups are:
Group A:  Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela
Group B:  Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay
Group C:  Bahamas, Canada, Dominican Republic, U.S. Virgin Islands

A total of 80 national teamsfrom FIBA’s four regions  will compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2021 Qualifiers over 15 months, looking to earn a qualifying berth into the 32-team FIBA World  Cup competition that will be held Aug. 25-Sept. 10, 2023, in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup marks the first time multiple countries will host the event.

Under the FIBA World Cup qualifying format, tw o games per window will be played and a total of six windows will be held to qualify teams for the 2023 World Cup. Each competition window is nine days. The first-round competition windows dates are: Nov, 22-30, 2021; Feb. 21-March 1, 2022; and June 27-July 5, 2022; while the second-round dates are set for August 22-30, 2022; Nov. 7-15, 2022; and Feb. 20-28, 2023.  

Each FIBA zone will qualify a set number of teams for the 2023 World Cup based on finishes in the qualifiers. Japan and the Philippines will automatically qualify for the 2023 World Cup as host countries, and Indonesia  will automatically qualify as a host if it is among the best eight teams of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Additionally, the top five finishing teams in Africa; the top seven placing teams in the Americas; depending on Indonesia’s results at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup, the top five or six finishing teams in the Asia/Oceania zone; and the top 12 finishing teams from Europe will qualify for the 2023 World Cup.

At the 2017-19 Americas World Cup Qualifying, the USA finished atop of the second round Group E, compiling a 10-2 overall record to qualify for the 2019 FIBA World Cup.     

USA National Teams currently are the four-time defending Olympic champions (2008, 2012, 2016, 2020) and winner of two of the last three FIBA World Cups (2010, 2014).

2021-23 FIBA World Cup Africa Qualifying Groups

GROUP A                   GROUP B                     GROUP C                           GROUP D
Cape Verde                  South Sudan                    Côte d’Ivoire                       Kenya
Mali                             Cameroon                       Guinea                                 Senegal
Uganda                        Tunisia                            Central Africa Republic      Egypt
Nigeria                         Rwanda                          Angola                                 Dem. Rep. of Congo

The top three finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the second round to form two groups of six teams.  The top two finishing teams in the two second round groups and the best third place team will qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

 

2021-23 FIBA World Cup Americas Qualifying Groups

GROUP A                  GROUP B                        GROUP C                        GROUP D
Argentina                    Brazil                                Bahamas                            Cuba
Panama                       Chile                                  Canada                              Mexico
Paraguay                     Colombia                           Dominican Republic         Puerto Rico
Venezuela                   Uruguay                             U.S. Virgin Islands            USA

The top three finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the second round to form two groups of six teams.  The top three finishing teams in the two second round groups and the best fourth place team will qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
 

2021-23 FIBA World Cup Asia/Oceania Qualifying Groups

GROUP A                  GROUP B                        GROUP C                        GROUP D
India                            Australia                            Indonesia                          Brunei
New Zealand               China                                 Jordan                               Iran
Philippines                   Japan                                 Lebanon                            Kazakhstan
South Korea                Taiwan                               Saudi Arabia                     Syria

The top three finishing teams in each preliminary round group will advance to the second round to form two groups of six teams. Depending on Indonesia’s results at the  FIBA Asia Cup 2021, the top five or six finishing teams will qualify for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

2021-23 FIBA World Cup European Qualifying Groups

GROUP A                  GROUP B                         GROUP C                       GROUP D
Belgium                      Belarus                               Croatia                             Estonia
Latvia                          Great Britain                      Finland                            Germany
Serbia                          Greece                                Slovenia                           Israel
Slovakia                      Turkey                                Sweden                            Poland                               

GROUP E                  GROUP F                           GROUP G                      GROUP H
France                         Bosnia and Herzegovina      Georgia                           Iceland
Hungary                      Bulgaria                               North Macedonia            Italy           
Montenegro                 Czech Republic                   Spain                               Netherlands   
Portugal                       Lithuania                             Ukraine                            Russia