MIES (Switzerland) - Big games, big plays, big crowds.
Everything was big about the latest international window as national teams began their qualifying campaigns for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar.
Exhibit A was the audience of 13,486 at the Wukesong Sports Center in Beijing, the legendary venue that hosted the basketball tournaments at the 2008 Olympics and the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019.
China fans showed tremendous backing for their national team as it squared off against Korea and ultimately lost, 80-76, despite a late comeback attempt.
The second largest crowd of the window watched Türkiye beat Bosnia and Herzegovina in Istanbul. The TBF Turkcell Basketball Development Center was 99% full with 9,876 spectators seeing the hosts pull away in the fourth quarter for a 93-81 triumph.
The Tbilisi Arena was jam packed with 9,000 fans, which is 100% capacity, for Georgia's game against Ukraine, and the visitors prevailed, 92-79.
The Japanese have a voracious appetite when it comes to national team basketball, which was evident when 9,254 fans (95% capacity) showed up to watch the team defeat Chinese Taipei in the Glion Arena Kobe, 90-64.
There were then 6,195 spectators (87% capacity) to see the same two teams again in Chinese Taipei's Xinzhuang Gymnasium, with the visitors this team edging the encounter, 80-73.
Qatar is gearing up to host the World Cup. Its national team had 6,600 spectators to watch the game against Lebanon on Thursday, November 27, that went to the wire, with the visitors winning, 75-74. This was a record crowd for the national team. Qatar bounced back against the same opponents in front of a loud crowd of 5,777 in Zouk Mikael, beating the Cedars in a thriller, 86-83.
An audience of 9,068 was stunned as the visiting Netherlands won over hosts Latvia, 86-78. The Arena Riga, which hosted FIBA EuroBasket 2025, continues to host big national team games with plenty of spectators giving the Baltic team amazing support.
A whopping crowd of 8,225 was in Managua's Polideportivo Alexis Arquello to see USA beat Nicaragua. The venue hosted the FIBA AmeriCup 2025 and is one of the top venues in the Americas.
On Monday, Sweden went up against Slovenia at the Scandinavium and had 9,128 fans in attendance. The Slovenians bounced back from their overtime defeat at home to Estonia and won, 94-83, despite Ludde Hakanson's 34 points for the hosts. Hakanson had broken his own record of assists by dishing out 15 in Sweden's first game of the window at Czechia.
Czechia's Tomas Satoransky then did even better with 16 assists in the team's 97-92 win at Estonia, with 6,594 spectators in the Unibet Arena - 110% capacity!
The Ratiopharm Arena in Ulm was full, too, with 6,049 fans and they cheered as 2023 World Cup winners Germany defeated Israel, 89-69.
Italy's Palazzetto Cittadella Dello Sport was 94% full with 4,711 fans but they left disappointed after Iceland's 81-76 win. The Azzurri supporters a few days later were all smiles after travelling to Lithuania and winning, however.
Lithuania was swept up in Ignas Sargiunas euphoria after his late 3-point shooting heroics at Great Britain lifted the team to a shock 89-88 win. Yet against Italy on Sunday in Klaipeda, with 5,011 fans (91% capacity) in the Svyturio Arena, the visitors won 82-81.
Espoo Arena is always basketball central when it hosts EuroBasket games and such was the case on Monday, when the Susijengi squared off against France. A charged-up crowd of 6,683 cheered and howled as the Finns came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat France, 83-76, and leave both teams with 1-1 records.
Greece clinched third place at FIBA EuroBasket 2025, their first podium finish since 2009, and fans celebrating by filling to the Nikos Galis Hall to 92% (4,675) of its capacity to watch the team beat Romania, 91-64.
Serbia, who came from 23 points down to win, 90-86, over Switzerland, reached into their magic bag again to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina, 74-72, in the Mirza Delibasic Hall. The venue was full with 4,500 fans as the No. 3 team in the FIBA World Ranking, Presented by Nike, won a second straight close game.
The great fans of La Laguna Tenerife got another taste of international basketball with 4,603 at the Santiago Martin Arena for Spain's home game against Georgia.
The arena 90% full as the Basketball Champions League's all-time leading scorer, Tenerife's Giorgi Shermadini, played for Georgia. Spain's Fran Guerra, who like Shermadini plays center for Tenerife, helped the hosts win, 90-61.
Down Under, Australia and their traditional foes in Oceania, New Zealand, traded blows twice with the Boomers winning two close games, including at the MyStateBank Arena in hoops-mad Hobart with 4,137 spectators (96% capacity) on hand.
Also in the Americas, 4,831 specators were in the Antel Arena as hosts Uruguay defeated Panama for the second straight time, but only just! The home team prevailed, 84-82.
Mexico, desperate for a win after falling at home before 3,527 fans to the Dominican Republic in their first game of the window, traveled to Santo Domingo and beat the same opponent on Monday night, 89-88.
The Pabellon Ricardo Gioriber Arias was filled beyond capacity with 4,783 rocking fans.
Chile always have passionate support for their games, with 3,573 fans on hand meaning the antonio Azurmendy was 99% full for the game against Brazil. However, the No. 10 ranked team in the world spoiled the party with a 82-66 victory.
The top attendance in Africa was in Rades, where hosts Tunisia fell, 66-57, to Guinea, winners of all three of games in the window, in front of 4,200 fans.
FIBA