The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. FIBA defines the rules of basketball, specifies the equipment and facilities required, organizes international competitions, regulates the transfer of athletes across countries, and controls the appointment of international referees. A total of 212 national federations are members, organized since 1989 into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
FIBA organizes both the men's and women's FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the Summer Olympics Basketball Tournament, which are sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The FIBA Basketball World Cup is a world tournament for men's national teams held every four years. Teams compete for the Naismith Trophy, named in honor of basketball's Canadian-American creator James Naismith. The tournament structure is similar but not identical to that of the FIFA World Cup in association football; these tournaments occurred in the same year from 1970 through 2014, but starting in 2019, the Basketball World Cup moved to the year following the FIFA World Cup. A parallel event for women's teams, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, is also held quadrennial; from 1986 through 2014, it was held in the same year as the men's event but in a different country. History Founding and early years (1932–1949) The association was founded in Geneva in 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognized by the IOC. Before 1934, basketball was under the umbrella of the International Amateur Handball Federation. Its original name was . The eight nations' basketball federations that were the founding members of FIBA were: Argentina, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, and Switzerland. In September 1934, the Protocol of Stockholm was passed and the FIBA became the only recognized authority responsible for basketball. During the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, the Federation named James Naismith (1861–1939), the founder of basketball, as its Honorary President.
Development (1950–2019) FIBA has organized a world championship, known as World Cup, for men since 1950 and a women's world championship, known as the Women's World Cup, since 1953. From 1986 through 2014, both events were held every four years, alternating with the Olympics. The men's World Cup was moved to a new four-year cycle, with tournaments in the year before the Summer Olympics, after 2014.
On 7 April 1989, at a special congress in Munich following the conclusion of the 1988–89 FIBA European Cup, FIBA member nations voted, by a margin of 56 to 13, to allow NBA players to participate in its international events, including the World Cup and the Olympics. The change also intended to ward off competition from the Goodwill Games, which was rivaling the Olympics at the time and also seeking to bring NBA players into its basketball events."Basketball federation will allow NBA players in Olympics", Washington Post News Service, via The Olympian, April 8, 1989, page 2C.
The Federation headquarters moved to Munich in 1956, then returned to Geneva in 2002. In 1991, it founded the FIBA Hall of Fame; the first induction ceremony was held on 12 September 2007, during EuroBasket 2007. During its 81st anniversary in 2013, FIBA moved into its new headquarters, "The House of Basketball", at Mies. Andreas Zagklis became the Secretary-General of FIBA on 7 December 2018.
Suspensions of Russia and Belarus (2020–present) In February 2022, Russia and Belarus were provisionally suspended from international competitions until further notice due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It also suspended the two countries from hosting any competitions.
Presidents
+Presidents of FIBA Years Name 1932–1948 Leon Bouffard 1948–1960 Willard Greim 1960–1968 Antonio dos Reis Carneiro 1968–1976 Abdel Moneim Wahby 1976–1984 Gonzalo Puyat II 1984–1990 Robert Busnel 1990–1998 George E. Killian 1998–2002 2002–2006 2006–2010 Robert Elphinston 2010–2014 2014–2019 Horacio Muratore 2019–2023 Hamane Niang 2023–present Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani
During the 1936 Summer Olympics, the FIBA honored James A. Naismith, the founder of basketball, as their honorary President.
Secretaries General +Secretaries General of FIBA Years Name 1932–1976 Renato William Jones 1976–2003 / Borislav Stanković 2003–2018 Patrick Baumann 2018–present Andreas Zagklis
Structure Background Until the 1990s FIBA had various continental sub-confederations under its jurisdiction.FIBA Divisions (1996) - Fiba.Com Those were as follows: Africa (AFABA) Asia (A.B.C.) Confederación Panamericana de Baloncesto (COPABA) South American Basketball Confederation (CONSUBASQUET) Europe (Standing Conference for Europe) Oceania (O.B.C.)
Five zones and 211 national federations
There are five zones, in which FIBA oversees the game in the different continents and regions of the world through its regional offices under its new governance structure, which was approved by the 2014 FIBA Extraordinary Congress in Istanbul. National federations are members of FIBA and are provided for in FIBA's General Statutes with their assigned zones. The Statutes also state that upon a national federation's admission into FIBA, it is assigned to a zone by the Central Board.
FIBA Africa (54 members) FIBA Americas (42 members) FIBA Asia (44 members) FIBA Europe (49 members) FIBA Oceania (22 members)
FIBA recognizes 211 national federations; see the list of men's national basketball teams and the list of women's national basketball teams. Unlike other sports organizations, FIBA recognizes the British Basketball Federation as the lone governing body for basketball in Great Britain, as a result of a merger in 2016 between the basketball federations of two of the four Home Nations within the United Kingdom (England and Scotland). Wales had rejected the proposed merger in 2012 but agreed in 2015. Several members of FIBA Oceania, notably Australia and New Zealand, also compete in Asian tournaments.
In 2021, Peru was disaffiliated from FIBA after being suspended in 2018.
The FIBA Men's World Ranking and FIBA Women's World Ranking are both updated after a FIBA competition or qualification window and are based on their performance, particularly in games, in those events. The men's ranking was updated on 10 September 2023 after the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, while the latest women's ranking was updated on 21 August 2023 after the FIBA Women's Continental Cups, which took place in all FIBA zones.
Laws and governance
FIBA's headquarters is located in Mies, Switzerland and is known as the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, named after the organization's former Secretary-General.
FIBA's supreme body is the FIBA Congress, an assembly of representatives from each affiliated national federation, with each having one vote. The Congress assembles every two years, either an elective or mid-term congress, and is the only body that can make modifications to FIBA's General Statutes. An elective congress elects the FIBA President, Treasurer, and members of the FIBA Central Board, and appoints members of their Ethics and Nominations Panels. Two extraordinary congresses have been held since 1989, with the most recent held in 2014.
The FIBA Central Board is the organization's highest executive body. It comprises 29 people: the president; the secretary-general; the treasurer; 13 members elected by the FIBA Congress; the 5 presidents of each FIBA zone; up to six co-opted members; a representative each from the National Basketball Association and the players. The Board is the body that decides which countries will host the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup. The Central Board for the term 2023-2027 comprises 27 members.
The president and the secretary general are the main office holders of FIBA and are in charge of its daily administration. Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani was elected president on 23 August 2023 at the FIBA Congress. Andreas Zagklis was appointed secretary-general on 8 December 2018 following the death of Patrick Baumann.
Competitions
National teams Men FIBA Basketball World Cup Olympic Basketball Tournament FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament FIBA U-19 Basketball World Cup FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup
(3x3 men) FIBA 3x3 World Cup Olympic 3x3 Basketball Tournament FIBA 3x3 U-23 World Cup FIBA 3x3 U-18 World Cup
Women FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup Olympic Women's Basketball Tournament FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament FIBA U-19 Women's Basketball World Cup FIBA U-17 Women's Basketball World Cup
(3x3 women) FIBA 3x3 Women's World Cup Olympic 3x3 Women's Basketball Tournament FIBA 3x3 U-23 Women's World Cup FIBA 3x3 U-18 Women's World Cup
Clubs FIBA Intercontinental Cup
Esports EFIBA Esport
Current title holders World champions TournamentFIBA World CupYearNext editionOlympicsYear Men (1)20232027 (17)2024 Women (12)20262030 (10)2024 U-19 Men (9)20252027 (1)2018 U-19 Women (11)20252027 (2)2018 U-17 Men (8)20262028N/A U-17 Women (7)20262028
3x3 world champions TournamentFIBA 3x3 World CupYearOlympicsYear Men (1)2026 (1)2024 Women (4)2026 (1)2024 U-23 Men (2)2026 N/A (2)2026 U-18 Men (3)2024 U-18 Women (8)2024
World club champions +Club competitionYearChampionScoreRunner-upNext edition FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2026 NBA G League United 89–86 Rytas2027
eFIBA Esport World Champions +CompetitionsYearChampionScoreRunner-upNext edition eFIBA 2023 2024
Continental champions NationalteamsFIBA AfricaYearNext editionFIBA AmericasYearNext editionFIBA AsiaYearNext editionFIBA EuropeYearNext editionFIBA OceaniaYearNext edition Men (12)20252029 (5)20252029 (3)20252029 (2)20252029 (19)2015N/A Women (7)20252027 (5)20252027 (1)20252027 (2)20252027 (15)2015 U-18 Men (1)20262028 (1)20262028 (2)20242026 (1)20262027 (2)20252027 U-18 Women (10)20262028 (13)20262028 (2)20242026 (7)20262027 (11)20252027 U-16 Men (1)20252027 (9)20252027 (4)20252027 (1)20262027 (7)20242026 U-16 Women (1)20252027 (8)20252027 (4)20252027 (12)20262027 (7)20242026
Continental club champions RegionCompetitionYearChampionTitleRunner-upNext editionMen's club competitions Africa Basketball Africa League 2026 RSSB Tigers 1st Petro de Luanda 2027Americas Basketball Champions League Americas 2025–26 Boca Juniors 1st Sesi Franca 2026–27 Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto 2025 Ferro Carril Oeste 1st Regatas Corrientes 2026Asia Basketball Champions League Asia 2025 Utsunomiya Brex 1st Al Riyadi 2026 East Asia Super League 2025–26 Utsunomiya Brex 1st Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 2026–27 West Asia Super League 2025–26 Al Riyadi 3rd Sagesse 2026–27 Basketball Champions League Asia - East 2026 South China 1st Taoyuan Pauian Pilots 2027Europe Basketball Champions League 2025–26 Rytas 1st AEK Betsson 2026–27 Europe Cup 2025–26 Surne Bilbao Basket 2nd PAOK mateco 2026–27 Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament 2025–26 FC Barcelona 2nd Real Madrid 2026–27 Youth Basketball Champions League 2026 Rytas 3rd Igokea 2027Women's club competitions Africa Africa Women's Basketball League 2025 Al Ahly 1st Ferroviário de Maputo 2026Americas Women's Basketball League Americas 2024 Indeportes Antioquia 2nd Bay Area Phoenix 2025 Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto Femenino 2024 SESI Araraquara 1st Aguada 2025 Asia Women's Basketball League Asia 2025 Guangdong Vermilion Birds 1st Fujitsu Red Wave 2026Europe EuroLeague Women (1st-tier) 2025–26 Fenerbahçe Opet 3rd Galatasaray Çağdaş Faktoring 2026–27 EuroCup Women (2nd-tier) 2025–26 ÇİMSA ÇBK Mersin 1st Athinaikos Qualco 2026–27 SuperCup Women 2025 ZVVZ USK Praha 2nd ESB Villeneuve-d'Ascq 2026
Awards
Most Valuable Player TournamentMost Recent Awardee TeamYear Men Dennis Schröder 2023 Women Breanna Stewart 2026 U-19 Men AJ Dybantsa 2025 U-19 Women Saniyah Hall 2025 U-17 Men Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje 2026 U-17 Women Ivanna Wilson Manyacka2026