MIAMI (United States) - The FIBA ​​U16 Americas Championship is just around the corner and emotions will run high in an event that hosts the first opportunity players have to represent their country on a continental level.

Here is everything you need to know about the competition that will take place at the USBI gym in Xalapa, Mexico, between the 23rd and 29th of August, and that awards four places into the 2022 FIBA ​​U-17 World Cup.

Who will compete?

Eight teams from all over the region, which were qualified through the Nike Youth Ranking for each sub-zone. They are distributed in two groups of four as follows:

Group A: Argentina, Brazil, Canada and Mexico.

Group B: Chile, the United States, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

Who are the reigning champions?

The United States has never lost a game in this tournament on a continental level and has an impressive 31-0 record. There has been a total of six FIBA U16 Americas Championship since its inception in 2009. Since USA has won gold in all of them, they come as heavy favorites.

Canada, Argentina, Brazil and Puerto Rico have traditionally always been in the fight for the medals, but the Dominican Republic and Mexico have been on the rise.

Where can I watch the games?

The tournament will be played under the “bubble” format following all FIBA ​​biosafety protocols. All games will be broadcasted through the FIBA ​​YouTube channel.

Find the full schedule here. 

What is the competition system?

All teams will face each other in the group stage to determine the qualifying places for the Quarter-Finals. There, the winners will meet in this order:

1st A - 4th B

2nd B - 3rd A

1st B - 4th A

2nd A - 3rd B

The four winners will advance to the Semi-Finals and the remainder will play for positions 5-8. The tournament will conclude with the Final, Third place, and positions 5-8 games.

Find the full schedule here. 

What are some key games in the group stage?

In Group A, Brazil versus Argentina will showcase the great South American rivalry. The winner will likely advance to the Quarter-Finals as second in the group, bearing in mind that Canada is called to be the leader in the zone.

In Group B, the Puerto Rico vs. the Dominican Republic game has become a classic in the Caribbean. With the United States as the top candidate, whoever succeeds in the match-up will have a somewhat privileged position in the quarterfinals.

FIBA