ASUNCIÓN (Paraguay) – The FIBA U17 South American Women’s Championship 2025 begins this Monday, October 20, at the UENO COP Arena in Asunción, Paraguay. Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Uruguay, Venezuela, and host Paraguay will battle for three spots in the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup 2026 and continue their journey toward qualification for the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2027. Here’s everything you need to know before the action begins in Asunción:
What’s the competition format?
The nine national teams are divided into two groups: Group A: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Uruguay. Group B: Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Venezuela.
In the Group Phase, each team will play one game against every opponent in its group.
The top two teams from each group will advance to the Semi-Finals.
Teams finishing third and fourth will play in the classification round for positions 5–8.
The fifth-place team in Group A will be eliminated and placed ninth overall.
In the Semi-Finals, the matchups will be 1A vs. 2B and 1B vs. 2A. The winners will play the Final, and the losers will face off for third place.
Who are the defending champions?
Brazil lifted the trophy in the 2023 edition in Colombia and leads all nations with four titles since 2005. Medal table of the U17 Women’s South American Championship (2005–present):
Team | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
Brazil | 4 | 2 | 2 |
Argentina | 2 | 3 | 4 |
Colombia | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Venezuela | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Chile | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Paraguay | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Note: In 2021, the tournament was postponed, but it was played in 2022 as an Under-18 category event. That is the reason those records are not included in the table above. In the 2022 event, Brazil won the gold medal, Colombia the silver, and Argentina the bronze.
Who are the favorites this year?
Colombia enters with strong momentum after finishing fourth at the FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup held in Mexico this June, which earned them a berth to the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026. They also won the silver medal at the U15 South American Championship 2024.
Argentina is another top contender, having claimed fifth place at the U16 AmeriCup after defeating Venezuela in the classification round.
Venezuela, despite a disappointing U16 AmeriCup following their U15 South American title as hosts, remains a dangerous opponent capable of a deep run.
Brazil, the reigning champion, may not have the same dominance as previous generations, but should not be counted out.
When will the games be played?
Group Phase: October 20–24
Semi-Finals: October 25
Final and Third-Place Game: October 26
How can I watch the games?
All games will be streamed live on FIBA’s YouTube channel. To stay updated with highlights and key moments, follow @FIBA and @americupw on social media.
Which games can’t I miss?
BRA vs. ARG | October 21 – 2:30 p.m. (local time)
The South American classic never disappoints. This same generation faced off at the U15 South American Championship 2024, where Argentina came out on top in both the Group Phase and the Third-Place Game.
COL vs. VEN | October 23 – 3:30 p.m. (local time)
These neighboring nations share a border—and an ever-growing rivalry. At the 2024 U15 South American Championship, featuring many of these same players, Colombia won in the Group Phase, but Venezuela got revenge in the Final, capturing the title on home soil.
FIBA