MIES (Switzerland) - Group A of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2026 features the defending champions United States but it also has two European powers who want to keep up with their recent success.
All eyes are on how dominant USA can be, but fans are just as excited to see what happens between France and Italy. The French won back-to-back medals in 2018 and 2022 while Italy took second place in 2024 - losing to USA in the Final. The other team in the group is Japan.
The Favorite: USA
How can the nation that has never lost in 51 games over seven tournaments since 2010 and rarely even been challenged not be the favorite? USA always face the difficulty of forming a team in a short amount of time - starting training camp with 36 players appearing for tryouts two weeks before the start of the event. But that hasn't stopped the Americans in the past. This USA team will be loaded with talent and ready to dominate.
The Underdog: Japan
Japan will not have any easy game in the group stage as they face Italy, then USA and finish with France. Japanese fans will probably be more excited about seeing their heroes facing future NBA players on the opposing teams. Japan face an uphill battle in every game, and it would be a surprise if the Asians can grab a win in the group stage.
The Pivotal Game: France v Italy
Most people will be looking at that first day matchup of USA versus France and say it will be key to the group. But it is actually France's next game against Italy that is the pivotal game. Let's say USA take first place in the group, that would mean the team finishing second in Group A could not meet USA until the Final at the earliest. While the third placed team could match up with the Americans in the Semi-Finals. On top of that is the fact that Italy beat France 76-73 in the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2025 Quarter-Finals on Mario Macchetti's three-pointer with 1.3 seconds to play.
More
Looking for more about the teams in Group A, don't forget to check the pieces introducing the 16 participating nations as well as these, on why each team can win the tournament.
FIBA