AHMEDABAD (India) - The FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 is just right around the corner and so, excitement is through the roof as the continent will once again bear witness to potential stars of the near future.
But in case this is your very first time tuning into the tournament, or simply wanting to check out what could be in store in the games ahead that commences later this week in this historic city, we have you covered.
When and where is the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026?
The youth competition's 28th edition will run on August 13-23, with games to be played at the Veer Savarkar Indoor Stadium in Ahmedabad, India.
It will be the first U18 Asia Cup in India since 2004, which was held in Bengaluru.
What is the format?
Sixteen teams divided into groups of 4 are set to see action, beginning with the busy Group Phase that will be played for a total of 6 days from August 13-18 featuring 4 games a day.
The top teams in each group by the end of the preliminaries will book a direct ticket to the Quarter-Finals. Teams finishing 2nd and 3rd in their pools, meanwhile, will play in the Qualification to Quarter-Finals.
The play-in to the Final Phase's opening round is scheduled on August 20. The Quarter-Finals will then be played the following day, the winners of which will advance to the Semi-Finals set on August 22.
Classification Rounds 5-8 will also be held for this year's U18 meet, beginning on August 22 as well - just before the Semi-Finals. Losing teams in the Quarter-Finals will make up the cast in a bid to salvage pride.
The one-game Final is set on August 23, which will be preceded by the Classification 5-6, Classification 7-8, and the Third-Place Games as the tournament assures to be action-packed all the way to the end.
Who are the reigning champions?
Australia are coming in as the defending champions after ruling the 2024 games in Jordan. The Emus did so by clobbering New Zealand in the Final, 96-33, to complete a mighty 6-game sweep of the contest.
It was also the Aussies' second U18 Asia Cup title after winning it all in 2018 against the same opponent. Now, they're eyeing to achieve a 'back-to-back,' which was last done by China back in 2012 in Mongolia.
Which teams are competing?
As mentioned, 16 teams are set to compete in Ahmedabad. Check the table below to see how they are clustered as well - the groupings are based according to the FIBA World Ranking for Boys, presented by NIKE.
GROUP A | GROUP B | GROUP C | GROUP D |
|---|---|---|---|
Australia | New Zealand | China | Korea |
Chinese Taipei | Lebanon | Iran | Japan |
Philippines | Bahrain | Qatar | Indonesia |
Thailand | Syria | Sri Lanka | Kazakhstan |
What is at stake?
Of course, the team that wins it all by tournament's end will be crowned U18 Asia Cup champions, and will be spearheading the ensemble that will carry the fight for Asia in one of youth basketball's grandest stages.
The 4 teams advancing to the Semi-Finals will guarantee their spots to the prestigious FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027, which is set to be held in the city of Pardubice, Czechia from June 26 to July 4, 2027.
Where can we watch?
All games will be streamed live via FIBA's official YouTube channel, while local broadcast restrictions might apply in some areas. Check local listings and/or announcements from your National Federations.
Stay updated with anything and everything about the FIBA U18 Asia Cup 2026 through the event's official website, and @asiacup on social media.
FIBA