DOHA:  With the conclusion of the qualifying draw on May 13 at the magnificent Alhazm site in Doha, the route to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 has formally taken shape.  As they vie for one of the 32 coveted berths in the 2018 World Cup, 80 national teams are now aware of their first paths.

 The 420 games in the qualifications, which are spread across six windows from November 2025 to March 2027, provide basketball fans everywhere months of exciting activity before the event.

Carmelo Anthony, a basketball legend and international FIBA ambassador, presided over the draw ceremony.  The tournament also featured basketball 3×3 world champion Yassin Mousa, four-time Olympic high jump medalist Mutaz Essa Barshim, and British long-distance running legend Sir Mo Farah, a multiple Olympic gold medallist.

 Dirk Nowitzki, the MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Cup and a former captain of the German national team, displayed the coveted Naismith Trophy, which represents the ultimate reward that awaits the teams.  Following their victory in 2023, Germany enters as the current world champion.

Along with representatives from the Qatar Basketball Federation, including CEO Mohammed Al-Meghaiseeb, the Central Board, Secretary General Andreas Zagklis, and FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani attended the event.  For this important turning point in the World Cup journey, more than 60 representatives from national federations throughout the globe convened in Doha.

 The nations who will compete on basketball’s grandest stage in 2027 will be decided by a rigorous qualification process that begins with this draw.