ISTANBUL (Türkiye) - The pairings and schedule for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 Round of 16 are now confirmed following the successful conclusion of the Group Phase in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Round of 16
The Round of 16 will all take place on Wednesday July 1 with games at Basketball Development Center and National Team's Venue.
JPN v LTU - 11:00 CET
Lithuania started the tournament strong with a win over Canada and followed that with victories over Cameroon and China. Now, the Lithuanians have a date with another Asian team: Japan, who lost all three of their group games by at least 29 points.
FRA v CHN - 11:30 CET
France got their wish and finished second in Group A with a 2-1 record - losing only to USA. Next up is China, who were stronger than their 1-2 record shows. Believe it or not but China have a 3-0 record all-time in U17 World Cup history against France, including in the 2024 group stage.
USA v CMR - 13:45 CET
USA rolled through the group stage with three wins and Cameroon lost all three games in their first FIBA U17 World Cup appearance. The Africans have struggled throughout and will face a massive challenge of even staying close to the Americans.
ITA v CAN - 14:15 CET
An enticing Round of 16 matchup between Italy and Canada - the first time these teams have faced off in FIBA U17 World Cup history. Italy lost to top favorites USA and France while Canada's wins have come against China and Cameroon with a loss to Lithuania to open the tournament.
SLO v AUS - 16:30 CET
Australia reach the Knockout Phase undefeated and will have a date with Slovenia, who are still waiting for their first win in Istanbul. The Europeans are weakened in the tournament as they are missing their starting backcourt from last summer's FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2025.
NZL v SRB - 17:00 CET
New Zealand picked up their first win in the final group stage game against Slovenia and their reward is a Round of 16 date with Serbia, winners of their last two games. This game promises to be an electrical showdown between all-around stars Nikola Kusturica and New Zealand's Jayden Cecil.
TUR v VEN - 19:15 CET
Türkiye went through the group stage unscathed and it would be a surprise if the hosts don't reach the Quarter-Finals as they face Venezuela. The first-timers have yet to win a game and must find a way to slow down Türkiye's dynamic duo of Omer Kutluay and Darius Kusturica.
PUR v CIV - 19:45 CET
Puerto Rico suffered their first loss and will next take on tournament debutants Côte d'Ivoire, who registered a 1-2 record. The Americas team has never missed reaching the Quarter-Finals while no African nation has secured a top-eight spot in the FIBA U17 World Cup.
The complete FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 Final Phrase bracket can be found here.
FIBA