The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Intercontinental Cup initiated a new era in its history with an agreement that sees Beijing (China) as the host of the event over the next three years.
‘FIBA BASKETBALL’ stated that the Chinese capital Beijing will see some of the best clubs in FIBA Basketball from 2026 to 2028, the first edition in China tipping off in late September in 2026.
Mies (Switzerland)-based the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. The FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, organizes the international competitions, regulates the transfer of the athletes across the countries, and controls the appointment of the international referees. A total of 212 national federations are Members organized since 1989 into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
Constant Rise
‘FIBA BASKETBALL’ further stated that Beijing takes over from Singapore which hosted the event from 2023 to 2025. The era in Singapore marked a constant rise in the development of the Intercontinental Cup bringing in teams from Africa, Asia and Oceania.
‘Unforgettable Basketball Moments’
Averred Andreas Zagklis, FIBA Secretary General, “With the roots of this event set back in 1965 it was one of our key missions to give the FIBA Intercontinental Cup a new life in the 2020s. What started as a competition between just two teams has evolved into a truly global tournament. Together, with our valued partners from the Chinese Basketball Association, the Beijing Municipality, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports, and our longstanding partner the Beijing Enterprise Group, we are confident that the event will continue to grow over the next three years. This journey will also uniquely position Beijing as the host of FIBA’s flagship competitions for both the club and the national teams after hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2019. The knowledge and experience of organizing a major event here is outstanding and now it is time to jointly deliver unforgettable basketball moments in 2026, 2027 and 2028.”
The Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports is the primary Government agency responsible for managing athletic development, hosting the major events and promoting public fitness within the Chinese capital. The bureau oversees the massive local sporting initiatives and the major international tournaments.
The FIBA Basketball World Cup is an international basketball competition between the senior Men’s national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport’s global governing body. It takes place every four years and is considered the flagship event of FIBA.
Fans’ Passion
Hosting the event in Beijing is another step in acknowledging the continued rise of basketball across China, the professionalism of its stakeholders and the passion of its fans.
Over the past 35 editions the FIBA Intercontinental Cup has seen 36 participants from six continents. Europe leads the all-time trophy count with 24 Cups.
Overall, Spain picked up the most titles with 12, the last six coming with their clubs representing the Basketball Champions League Europe.
The FIBA Intercontinental Cup, previously known as the FIBA World Cup for Champion Clubs and the FIBA Club World Cup, is an annual international Men’s basketball competition organized by FIBA, the sport’s global governing body.
The Basketball Champions League (BCL), also commonly known as the FIBA Champions League, is an annual professional basketball competition for the European clubs organized by FIBA. It is the top-level competition organized by FIBA Europe and therefore the champion participates in the FIBA Intercontinental Cup.
The winners of the 2026 editions of the Basketball Champions League in Europe (Rytas Vilnius, Lithuania), the Basketball Champions League Americas (Boca Juniors, Argentina) and the Basketball Africa League (RSSB Tigers, Rwanda) have secured their place in the competition with the full lineup of teams to be confirmed at a later stage.
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