Path to Doha begins with high-stakes Qualifiers draw

Doha, Qatar: A glamorous draw ceremony held at the stunning Al Hazm Mall in Doha yesterday evening laid out the initial pathways for 80 nations who wi...

Doha, Qatar: A glamorous draw ceremony held at the stunning Al Hazm Mall in Doha yesterday evening laid out the initial pathways for 80 nations who will be eying a berth at the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027, where 32 teams will compete for the prestigious Naismith Trophy.

The draw ceremony, held in the presence of Qatar Olympic Committee President and Chairman of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar 2027 Local Organizing Committee H E Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, saw the teams divided into 20 groups across four zones.

Taking place across six windows between November 2025 and March 2027, the teams will be involved in 420 games, looking for a place in the August 27 to September 12, 2027 tournament which will make history as the first ever Basketball World Cup to be hosted in the Middle East.

FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, Qatar Basketball Federation (QBF) and Local Organising Committee Director General Mohammed Saad Al Meghaiseeb as well as members of the FIBA Central Board attended the event along with more than 60 representatives from National Federations around the globe.