The countdown has begun for the biggest basketball festival in the world. The FIBA World Cup is set to return on August 25th, 2023 and the basketball world will be watching to see which nation will take home the ultimate prize. 32 nations will battle it out, not only to claim the championship but to also claim the bragging rights of the best basketball nation in the world. The tournament will take place across three nations: the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
How does the knockout schedule work?
The 32 teams that have made the cut will be split into eight groups with four teams in each group (Groups A through H). The top two teams in each group will play in the 2nd round (i.e. round of 16) and the remaining two teams of every group will play in the 17-32 classification. For example, in Group A the four teams are ranked 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A respectively based on their standings after the end of the first round. Similarly, the teams in Group B are ranked 1B, 2B, 3B, and 4B respectively. So 1A, 2A, 1B, and 3B will be in one group, and 3A, 4A, 3B, and 4B will be in another group and play in the 17-32 classification games. The subsequent groups that are formed are shown as follows:
Group I
| 1A |
| 2A |
| 1B |
| 2B |
Group M
| 3A |
| 4A |
| 3B |
| 4B |
Group J
| 1C |
| 2C |
| 1D |
| 2D |
Group N
| 3C |
| 4C |
| 3D |
| 4D |
Group K
| 1E |
| 2E |
| 1F |
| 2F |
Group O
| 3E |
| 4E |
| 3F |
| 4F |
Group L
| 1G |
| 2G |
| 1H |
| 2H |
Group P
| 3G |
| 4G |
| 3H |
| 4H |
The 17-32 classification games will take place on the 31st of August and September 2nd while the 2nd Round will take place on September 1st and September 3rd.
The top two teams of groups I, J, K, and L will play in the quarter-finals. The best team in Group I will play the second-best team in Group J (QF1) and vice-versa (QF2). Similarly, the best team in Group K will play the second-best team in Group L (QF3) and vice-versa (QF4). QF1 and QF2 will take place on September 5th while QF3 and QF4 will take place on September 6th.
| Game | Date | Time |
| 1I vs 2J | September 5th | 08:45 GMT |
| 1J vs 2I | September 5th | 12:40 GMT |
| 1K vs 2L | September 6th | 08:45 GMT |
| 1L vs 2K | September 6th | 12:40 GMT |
The winners of QF1 and QF2 will play in the first semi-final and the winners of QF3 and QF4 will play in the second second semi-final. The losers of QF1, QF2, QF3, and QF4 will play in the 5-8 classification games which will take place on September 7th and September 9th. The first semi-final will happen on September 8th at 08:45 GMT and the second semi-final will happen on September 8th at 12:40 GMT.
The losers of the first semi-final and the second semi-final will play in the third-place game which will take place on September 10th at 08:30 GMT. The winners of the semi-finals will play in the Grand Finale on September 10th at 12:40 GMT to take home the ultimate championship.
FAQs
A. FIBA World Cup is starting from August 25th and will happen till September 10th.
A. 32 nations play in the FIBA World Cup to take home the championship.
A. Eight teams qualify for the knockout stages which start from the quarter-finals.
A. The FIBA World Cup final is on September 10th at 12:40 GMT
