MIES (Switzerland) - Excitement is brewing once more now that the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers are drawing closer and closer, with many excited to see their own national teams plunge back into action.
The road to Qatar continues this November and competitors from across the globe can't wait any longer for the opportunity to earn their tickets to basketball's grandest stage, now approaching its 20th edition.
In case you're still catching up to all things World Cup just recently, we present to you a breakdown of everything you need to know - particularly for the highly anticipated Asian Qualifiers.
Which teams are playing?
Sixteen teams are set to duke it out, which are pooled in four groups.
Group A: Australia, Guam, New Zealand, and the Philippines Group B: Chinese Taipei, China, Japan, and Korea Group C: Iran, Iraq, Jordan, and Syria Group D: India, Qatar, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia
How did the teams qualify?
The 16 teams participating in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers are the 16 teams that will compete at the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
Who's playing?
Jaylin Galloway earned TISSOT MVP honors at the Asia Cup, bannering the All-Star Five that also has teammate Jack McVeigh, Hu Jinqiu and Wang Junjie of China, and Sina Vahedi of bronze medalists Iran.
Galloway and McVeigh have already been listed to appear in Window 1 of the Qualifiers, while other Asia stars from Lebanese star Wael Arakji, Gilas Pilipinas' Dwight Ramos, Korea's Lee Hyunjung are also on the preliminary rosters.
Stay updated on your team's rosters for Window 1 through our tracker, here:
What are the records in the Asian Qualifiers?
From Ra Guna, Arsalan Kazemi, and Freddy Ibrahim, we've seen some spectacular individual performances that have set the bar as records in the Asian Qualifiers. What are these records?
What is the format?
A total of six windows will be played. In the First Round, each team will face the other three teams in their group on a home-and-away basis over the first three windows. Each team will play two games in each window.
These windows will be in November 2025, February 2026 and July 2026. The top three teams from each group will advance to the Second Round of the Asian Qualifiers, where they will join three teams from another group.
At the end of the third window, the top three teams from each group progress to the Second Round. In the Second Round, the First Round Groups merge as follows to form a new six-team groups:
A and C => E
B and D => F
Prequalified host team Qatar will take up one of the three spots in the group, regardless of their position within their group. All teams will carry over the results from the First Round, ensuring every single game has a bearing.
Yes!
A team's final record after the conclusion of the Second Round includes their win-loss record from the First Round. This helps ensure every game matters throughout the six qualifying windows.
In the Second Round, each team will play home-and-away against the three teams coming from the other group over three more windows, which is scheduled in August 2026, November 2026, and February 2027.
At the end of these additional six games per team, the top three teams - along with the best fourth team in addition to Qatar - from each group will qualify to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027.
If ever you are in doubt, check the video explainer here:
What's at stake?
The seven best teams plus Qatar will advance to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, where they will be among the 32 teams set to fight for the coveted Naismith Trophy.
As this is just the first window, none of the teams except Qatar can already clinch qualification - but they all know how important it is to have a good start to the campaign.
When will the games be played?
Check on the website's Games page for exact details on which day your favorite team is playing.
1st Window: November 24 - December 2, 2025
2nd Window: February 23 - March 3, 2026
3rd Window: June 29 - July 7, 2026
4th Window: August 24 - September 1, 2026
5th Window: November 23 - December 1, 2026
6th Window: February 22 - March 2, 2027
The windows are where teams will play the qualifying games. Each of the six windows are nine days in length.
Where will the games be played?
The games will be played in a home-and-away format, meaning that there will not be any shortage of action across Asia and Oceania once the ball gets rolling for the Asian Qualifiers.
The first gameday will already see games played in Doha, Qatar where the World Cup will held as well as in Zouk Mikael, Lebanon; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Amman, Jordan; Hobart Australia; Yigo Village, Guam; Kobe, Japan; and Beijing, China.
The action shifts a bit more in game day 2 where we will see games played in Chennai, India; Wellington, New Zealand; Wonju, Korea; New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei; and Quezon City, Philippines.
Check ahead where you might be able to attend these games live on the website's Games page for more details.
Where to buy tickets?
Stay tuned on the website's Games page for more details.
Where to watch?
Stream the action on Courtside 1891, with live games and on-demand replays. Blackouts might apply in certain territories.
We recommend checking the specific game pages to find out how you can watch in your territory. More information will be provided as we get closer to the start of the competition.
For more viewing content, head to FIBA's official YouTube channel.
Is there an app?
There is, download the official FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers app on iPhone and Android devices.
How to stay updated?
Always make sure to check out - and follow, never forget - the FIBA Basketball World Cup's official Facebook, Instagram, and X channels to be up-to-date with the latest about the game's biggest spectacle.
FIBA