BEIJING (China) – The FIBA Intercontinental Cup initiated a new era in its history, with an agreement that sees Beijing as the host of the event over the next three years.
The Chinese capital will see some of the best clubs in FIBA Basketball from 2026 to 2028, the first edition in China tipping off in late September in 2026.
Beijing takes over from Singapore, which hosted the event from 2023 to 2025. The era in Singapore marked a constant rise in the development of the Intercontinental Cup, bringing in teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.
"With the roots of this event set back in 1965, it was one of our key missions to give the FIBA Intercontinental Cup a new life in the 2020s. What started as a competition between just two teams has evolved into a truly global tournament. Together with our valued partners from the Chinese Basketball Association, the Beijing Municipality; the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports and our long-standing partner the Beijing Enterprise Group, we are confident that the event will continue to grow over the next three years. This journey will also uniquely position Beijing as the host of FIBA's flagship competitions for both club and national teams, after hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019," FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said.
"The knowledge and experience of organizing a major event here is outstanding and, now it is time to jointly deliver unforgettable basketball moments in 2026, 2027 and 2028," Mr Zagklis added.
Hosting the event in Beijing is another step in acknowledging the continued rise of basketball across China, the professionalism of its stakeholders and the passion of its fans.
Over the past 35 editions, the FIBA Intercontinental Cup has seen 36 participants from six continents. Europe leads the all-time trophy count with 24 Cups.
Overall, Spain picked up the most titles with 12, last six coming with their clubs representing the Basketball Champions League Europe.
The winners of the 2026 editions of the Basketball Champions League in Europe (Rytas Vilnius, Lithuania), the Basketball Champions League Americas (Boca Juniors, Argentina) and the Basketball Africa League (RSSB Tigers, Rwanda) have secured their place in the competition, with the full line-up of teams to be confirmed at a later stage.