MIES (Switzerland) - The countdown to Los Angeles 2028 is already underway, with teams now able to see how they can realise their Olympic dreams after a new qualification system was launched for what will be 3x3 basketball's third appearance at the Games.
With only USA guaranteed a spot as Olympic host, a further 11 tickets are available for both the men's and women's competitions. A total of 5 places will be allocated to top-ranked National Federations (by Continent) as of December 1, 2027, with the 6 additional spots determined by four Qualifying Tournaments to be held between March and June 2028.
The new qualification systems includes 3x3 basketball making its debut in the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) Tournaments held by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2028.
After the stellar success of Paris 2024 when 3x3 basketball was played in front of spectators for the first time, interest in the number one urban team sport in the world is expected to soar even higher this time around. This will be fueled by what promises to be an entertaining and absorbing 'Road to LA 2028'.
Here's how the 12 teams per gender field for LA 2028 will be determined.
Top-Ranked Federations
A total of 5 spots per gender will be determined by the FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking as of December 1, 2027. The top ranked countries in Africa (1), the Americas (1), Europe (1) and Asia-Pacific (2, thereof at least 1 from Asia) in securing their respective Olympic tickets.
In May 2025, the FIBA Central Board agreed a significant change to the FIBA 3x3 Federation Ranking process, expanding it to cover a 24-month period, rather than 12 months. Making sure that every game counts, the Ranking is already live after coming into effect on December 1, 2025.
By the end of 2027, exactly half of the Olympic 3x3 basketball lineup for both the men and women's competitions will have been confirmed. This will be the Olympic host, USA (1), plus the top-ranked in each continent in the FIBA 3x3 Federations Ranking (5).
Attention will then turn to what is already shaping up to be four unforgettable Qualifying Tournaments in 2028. These will determine which countries take the last 6 remaining tickets for each gender.
3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments
A total of 2 tickets per gender will be available for each of the 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that will be organized by FIBA.
3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament - Universality will be the first to be played and will feature 12 teams. Based on Universality, the field will be made up of the Qualifying Tournament host and another 11 teams based on their FIBA 3x3 Basketball Federation Ranking, albeit limited to countries that did not play in the discipline of Basketball in Tokyo 2020 and/or Paris 2024.
3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Ranking will be the second to be played and will also feature 12 teams. Based on ranking, the field will be made up of the Qualifying Tournament host and another 11 teams based on their FIBA 3x3 Basketball Federation Ranking.
Meanwhile a total of 1 ticket per gender will be available for the winner of each of the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) Tournaments which feature 3x3 basketball.
The third 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament will be integrated in an Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) Tournament and will be based on Cup winners. The field will be made up of the Qualifying Tournament host and another 7 teams. The teams will be the following: Host (1), Champions Cup 2026 (1), Champions Cup 2027 (1), Each Continental (or Zone) Cup (4), World Cup 2027 (1)
The fourth and last Olympic Qualifying Tournament will also be integrated in an Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS) Tournament and will be based on the FIBA 3x3 Basketball Federation Combined Ranking. The field will be made up of the Qualifying Tournament host and another 7 teams.
All Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will follow strict gender parity and will be held simultaneously for both genders like in the past.
For more on how to qualify for 3x3 basketball at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, click here.
About FIBA 3x3 Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court. It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions. 3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Douyin, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball.