Where is the 2023 FIBA World Cup?

Before the NBA kicks off its 2023-24 season in mid-October, fans will be tuning in for this year’s 2023 FIBA World Cup that will run from August 25 through September 10. For the first time in its history, the competition will be jointly hosted by three countries, including one that is playing host for the first time.

Where will the FIBA World Cup be played?

The 2023 FIBA World Cup will mark a historic first in that multiple countries will host the event, continuing a trend seen with both the FIFA women’s World Cup over the summer. Indonesia, Japan, and the Philippines will all host games during the competition. Indonesia will be a host for the first time, while Japan and the Philippines hosted the tournament in 1978 and 2006, respectively.

The Philippines will host games in Manila throughout the preliminary rounds while Okinawa and Jakarta will each host two preliminary round groups and one second round group. The Philippines will host 16 teams while Japan and Indonesia will host eight teams each.

In the Philippines, The Mall of Asia Arena, Araneta Coliseum, and the Philippine Arena will all play host to the competition. Japan and Indonesia will each have one venue that will host games with the Okinawa Arena and Indonesia Arena, respectively.

How does the qualifying process work?

The qualification process for the FIBA World Cup takes place over a 15-month period across Africa, the Americas, Asia (including Oceania), and Europe. Between November 2021 and February 2023, 80 countries competed for a World Cup berth before the competition was trimmed to 32 competing teams. The Philippines and Japan each received an automatic qualification after being awarded the joint hosting bid along with co-host Indonesia.

The remaining teams from the four FIBA zones qualified for the tournament through the FIBA Continental Cups. After the United States secured qualification for the tournament, it continued its streak of participating in all FIBA World Cups since its inception in 1950.