‪Qatar is the first-ever Middle East host of the FIBA Basketball World Cup tournament. 

Qatar’s hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 is expected to be a successful feat, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) delegation, who inspected the country’s courts said.

The delegation, led by Hamane Niang, President of FIBA, visited Lusail Multipurpose Hall, Duhail Sports Hall, Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena, and Aspire Academy hosting the basketball rounds.

“We are very happy and excited to be coming to the Gulf region for the first time to host the FIBA World Cup,” FIBA President Niang said at the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum on Tuesday.

“I want to thank the Qatar Olympic Committee, Qatar Basketball Federation and the Qatari authorities for their hospitality and the quality of reception,” he added.

“Qatar has hosted many major events in recent years that include the World Handball Championship, World Athletics Championships, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and the World Judo Championships. This is one of the key factors why FIBA picked Qatar as hosts.”

Qatar was awarded the hosting of the World Cup 2027 by the FIBA Central Board in April.

Featuring 32 teams, it will be the first FIBA Basketball World Cup in the Arab world and the third in Asia after the 2019 tournament in China.

Eighty teams from four FIBA zones will qualify for the World Cup qualifiers through qualification for the FIBA Continental Cups through competitions such as the AfroBasket 2025, 2025 FIBA AmeriCup, 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, and EuroBasket 2025.

The qualifiers will start in November 2025 and witness six rounds of qualifiers before being determined in February 2027.