National team appearances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup explained

National team appearances in the FIBA Basketball World Cup are the number of appearances that individual country's basketball national teams have made at the FIBA Basketball World Cup. A total of 65 countries have made at least one appearance in the FIBA international senior men's basketball competition.

African, European and teams from the Americas composed the first World Championship – Asian and Oceanian teams did not want to make a long trip to Argentina, the venue of the tournament. Egypt finished fifth in the inaugural world championship, the best finish by a team from Africa. An Asian team, the Philippines, made their debut on the second tournament, where they finished third, the best finish by an Asian team.

Australia was the first team from Oceania to participate in the tournament, in 1970. New Zealand was defeated in the 2002 bronze medal game, earning them a fourth-place finish, a position the Australian team equaled in 2019.

European and teams from the Americas dominated the tournament, with teams from either confederation disputing the gold medal. Since 1978, the first time a final was played, there have been five all-European and six Europe-Americas finals. The worst finish by a European team since 1963 was second; for a team from the Americas, the worst all-time was third.

The tournament formats prior to the 1978 tournament were two round robin phases – teams were first divided into several groups, with the top teams from the group stage qualifying for the Final Group, where they play each other once. The team with the best record after the Final Group wins the gold medal, with ties broken by games played between tied teams. All tournaments after the 1978 tournament determined the world champion via a playoff – in 1978 and 1982, the top two teams from the final group squared off for the championship; since 1986, a single-elimination tournament has been used.

The national team with the most wins is the USA, with five. Although teams bearing the name of "Yugoslavia" have won five titles, FIBA used to consider the championships to have been won by two national teams. The first three were won by the team that represented the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The other two were won by a team representing the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which FIBA treats as the predecessor of the current Serbia national team. Furthermore, a Yugoslav team was able to finish at least third from 1963 to 2002.

Germany is the current World Champion, winning the gold medal game against Serbia at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Debut of teams

A total of 65 national teams have appeared in at least one FIBA Basketball World Cup in the history of the tournament through the 2023 competition. Each successive Basketball World Cup has had at least one team appearing for the first time. Countries competing in their first Basketball World Cup are listed below by year.

Year	Debutants	Number
valign=top		,,,,,,,,, ^[1]	10
valign=top		,,^[2],,,	6
valign=top		,,,,^[3]	5
valign=top		,	2
valign=top			1
valign=top		,,,^[4],	5
valign=top			1
valign=top		,,	3
valign=top		,	2
valign=top		,,,,, ^[5]	6
valign=top			1
valign=top		,,	3
valign=top		,,	3
valign=top		,,	3
valign=top		,	2
valign=top		,,,	4
valign=top		,	2
valign=top		,	2
valign=top		,,,	4
valign=top			TBD
Total		65

Tournament format

In deciphering the tables below, the tournament format per championship has to be accounted for.

!Year!Preliminary round (group stage)!Second round (group stage)!Final round (knockout stage)

1950	Double elimination tournament of 10 teams	Round robin of 6 teams	None; second group stage determined final rankings
1954	Round robin of 4 groups with 3 teams each	Round robin of 8 teams
1959	Round robin of 3 groups with 4 teams each	Round robin of 7 teams
1963
1967
1970
1974		Round robin of 8 teams
1978		Round robin of 8 teams	Single-game playoff of 2 teams
1982		Round robin of 7 teams
1986	Round robin of 4 groups with 6 teams each	Round robin of 2 groups with 6 teams each	Single-elimination tournament of 4 teams
1990	Round robin of 4 groups with 4 teams each	Round robin of 2 groups with 4 teams each
1994
1998		Round robin of 2 groups with 6 teams each	Single-elimination tournament of 8 teams
2002
2006	Round robin of 4 groups with 6 teams each	None	Single-elimination tournament of 16 teams
2010
2014
2019	Round robin of 8 groups with 4 teams each	Round robin of 4 groups with 4 teams each	Single elimination tournament of 8 teams
2023
2027

Team results

Legend:

• – Champions
• – Runner-up
• – Third place
• – Fourth place
• — Knockout quarterfinals (1998–present)
• — Second round group (1950–1994, 2019–present)
• WD — Withdrew
• • — Did not qualify
• × — Did not enter / disqualified
• — Hosts

Team	1950	1954	1959	1963	1967	1970	1974	1978	1982	1986	1990	1994	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014	2019	2023	2027	Total
	Part of France													R1	•	•	•	×	×		1
	Part of Portugal									R1	R1	R1		R2	R2	R2	R1	R1	R1		9
	R2		R1	R1	R2		R1			R2	R2	R1	QF	F	SF	QF	R2	F	•		14
						R1	R1	R2	R2	R1	R2	R2	R2	•	R2	R2	R2	SF	R2		13
	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	SF	R1	SF	R2	R1	R2	QF	R1	R2	QF	R2	R2		19
			R2											•	•	•	•	•	•		1
		R2	R1	R1		R1	R2	R2	R2	R2	R1	R2	R2	R1	•	R1	•	R1	SF		15
																			R1		1
							R1							•	•	•	•	•	•		1
	R2	R1	R2											•	•	•	•	•	•		3
								R1	R1	R2	R1	R2		R2	R2	R2	•	R1	R1		10
^[6]		R2	R2											•	•	•	•	•	•		2
									R2					•	×	•	•	•	•		1
	Part of Yugoslavia											SF		•	•	R2	R2	•	•		3
						R1	R2			R2		R1		•	•	•	•	•	•		4
	Part of Czechoslovakia													•	•	•	•	QF	•		1
^[7]						R2	R1	R1	R1			Does not exist									4
								R1						•	•	•	R2	R2	R2		4
	R1													•	•	×	×	×	•		1
	R2		R1			R1					R1	R1		•	×	•	R1	•	R1		7
Team	1950	1954	1959	1963	1967	1970	1974	1978	1982	1986	1990	1994	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014	2019	2023	2027	Total
														•	×	•	R1	•	R1		2
	R2	R2		R2						R1				•	QF	R2	SF	SF	R1		9
	Part of the Soviet Union											•	•	•	•	•	•	•	R2		1
^[8]										R1		R1		SF	QF	R1	•	R1	F		7
										R2	R2	SF	SF	•	F	R2	R2	R2	R2		9
																			•		0
														•	•	R1	R1	R1	R1		4
		R2								R2				•	•	•	•	•	•		2
				R2	R1	R2		SF		R2	R1		QF	•	R2	•	•	R2	QF		10
									R1	R1				•	•	R1	•	R1	R1		5
				R1	R1								R1	•	R1	•	•	R1	R1		6
														•	•	R1	•	R1	R1		3
	Part of the Soviet Union											•	•	•	•	•	•	•	QF		1
														R1	R1	R1	•	•	R1		4
	Part of the Soviet Union												QF	•	QF	SF	SF	R2	QF		6
										R1				•	•	•	•	×	×		1
			R1	R1	R1		R1							•	•	•	R2	•	R1		6
	Part of Yugoslavia														Part of Serbia	×	•	R1	R2		2
										R1				•	•	×	•	•	•		1
										R1				SF	R2	R2	R2	R1	R1		7
													R1	•	R2	•	•	R1	•		3
												WD		•	×	×	×	×	×		0
Team	1950	1954	1959	1963	1967	1970	1974	1978	1982	1986	1990	1994	1998	2002	2006	2010	2014	2019	2023	2027	Total
						R1			R1	R1				•	R1	•	×	•	•		4
		R1			R1									•	•	×	•	•	•		2
	R1	R1		R1	R1									•	•	×	×	×	×		4
		R2	R1		WD		R1	R2		WD				×	×	•	R1	R1	R1		7
					R2									•	•	•	•	QF	•		2
			R2	R2	R1		R2	R1		R1	SF	R2	R2	QF	R1	R1	R1	R2	R2		15
														•	R1	•	•	•	×	Q	2
	Part of the Soviet Union											F	F	R2	•	QF	•	R2	×		5
								R1					R1	•	R1	•	R2	R1	•		5
	Part of Yugoslavia														R2	SF	F	QF	F		5
	Part of Yugoslavia													•	R2	QF	QF	•	QF		4
						R1		R1		R1	R1	R1	R1	•	•	•	R1	R1	×		8
	Part of Sudan																×	×	R1		1
			R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	F	F	F	F	Does not exist									9
	R1						R2		SF	R2	R1	R1	QF	QF	F	QF	QF	F	R2		13
														•	•	R1	•	R1	•		2
														R2	QF	F	QF	R1	•		5
	Part of the Soviet Union													•	•	•	R1	•	•		1
	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	R2	F	F	SF	F	SF	QF	SF	F	F	QF	SF		19
		R2	R1	R1	R2	R2			R1	R1				•	•	•	•	•	•		7
											R1			R1	R1	•	•	R2	R1		5
^[9]	R1	R1		R2	R2	R2	R2	F	SF	SF	F		F	F	Does not exist						12
Total	10	12	13	13	13	13	14	14	13	24	16	16	16	16	24	24	24	32	32	32

Notes:

• Teams that failed to qualify to the semifinal round at the 1986 championship were ranked tied for 13th.
• In 2006, when the tournament expanded to 24 teams (four preliminary round groups of six teams each), teams that finished 5th in their preliminary round groups were ranked tied for 17th, while teams that finished 6th in their preliminary round groups were ranked tied for 21st. Teams eliminated in round of 16 were ranked tied for 9th.

Ranking of teams by number of appearances

Team		Record streak	Active streak	Debut	Most recent	Best result (* hosts)
	19	19	19	1950	2023	bgcolor=gold
	19	19	19	1950	2023	(1959, 1963*)
	15	9	2	1954	2023	(2023)
	15	10	10	1959	2023	(1990)
	14	9	0	1950	2019	(1950*)
	13	8	5	1970	2023	(2019)
	13	11	11	1950	2023	(2006, 2019)
†	10	8	--	1950	1990	bgcolor=gold	(1970*, 1978, 1990)
	10	5	2	1978	2023	8th (1994)
	10	3	2	1963	2023	(1970, 1978)
	9	5	5	1950	2023	(2014, 2019)
	9	5	5	1986	2023	(2006)
†	9	9	--	1959	1990	(1967, 1974, 1982)
	9	6	6	1986	2023	9th (2006)
	8	4	0	1970	2019	11th (1970)
	7	5	0	1954	1986	6th (1954)
	7	3	3	1954	2023	(1954)
	7	6	6	1986	2023	(2002)
	7	3	2	1986	2023	(2023)
	7	2	1	1950	2023	5th (1950)
	6	2	2	1963	2023	11th (1967)
	6	5	5	1998	2023	(2010)
	6	3	1	1959	2023	8th (1967)
	5	3	0	1994	2019	(1994, 1998)
	5	2	0	1978	2019	14th (1978)
	5	5	0	2002	2019	(2010*)
	5	2	2	1982	2023	13th (1982, 1986)
	5	2	2	1990	2023	11th (1990)
	4	2	0	1970	1994	(1974)
†	4	4	--	1970	1982	6th (1970)
	4	2	0	1950	1967	7th (1950)
	4	2	0	1970	2006	9th (1970, 1982)
	4	3	1	2002	2023	16th (2002)
	4	3	1	2006	2023	7th (2014, 2023)
	4	4	4	2010	2023	19th (2010)
	4	3	3	1978	2023	12th (1978)
	4	4	4	2010	2023	(2014, 2023)
	3	3	0	1950	1959	(1950, 1959)
	3	3	--	1998	2006	(1998, 2002)
	3	2	0	1994	2014	(1994)
	3	1	0	1998	2019	9th (2006)
	3	2	2	2010	2023	23rd (2010)
	2	2	0	1954	1959	(1959)
	2	1	0	1954	1967	9th (1954)
	2	1	0	1954	1986	7th (1986)
	2	1	0	1967	2019	5th (1967)
	2	1	0	2010	2019	20th (2019)
	2	1	1	2014	2023	21st (2023)
	2	2	2	2019	2023	11th (2023)
	2	1	1	2006	2027	21st (2006)
	1	1	0	1950	1950	8th (1950)
	1	1	0	1959	1959	7th (1959)
	1	1	0	1974	1974	14th (1974)
	1	1	0	1982	1982	7th (1982*)
	1	1	0	1986	1986	13th (1986)
	1	1	0	1986	1986	13th (1986)
	1	1	0	2002	2002	15th (2002)
	1	1	0	2014	2014	18th (2014)
	1	1	0	2019	2019	6th (2019)
	1	1	1	2023	2023	5th (2023)
	1	1	1	2023	2023	16th (2023)
	1	1	1	2023	2023	17th (2023)
	1	1	1	2023	2023	28th (2023)

Overall won/lost records

Team		Played	Won	Lost
	19	166	134	32
	19	149	90	59
	17	105	74	31
†	9	80	66	14
	14	112	65	47
†	10	78	58	20
	10	82	47	35
	13	98	43	55
	15	103	43	60
	15	115	45	70
	9	66	38	28
	9	68	37	31
	6	49	33	16
	7	49	31	18
	5	39	25	14
	5	38	24	14
	4	35	18	17
	10	68	18	50
	7	50	17	33
	6	40	19	21
†	4	30	17	13
	4	34	23	11
†	3	24	17	7
	9	56	16	40
	7	42	17	25
	7	45	14	31
	4	30	17	13
	3	20	12	8
	8	51	10	41
	4	27	10	17
	4	25	9	16
	3	19	9	10
	5	28	8	20
	2	17	8	9
	2	18	7	11
	2	18	7	11
	3	16	7	9
	7	47	8	39
	4	23	9	14
	6	36	8	28
	1	9	5	4
	5	28	4	24
	4	20	4	16
	1	8	6	2
	1	5	3	2
	1	8	4	4
	4	20	5	15
	2	13	3	10
	2	10	3	7
	2	10	4	6
	1	5	2	3
	1	5	2	3
	1	5	2	3
	2	10	3	6
	1	5	2	3
	1	5	1	4
	1	5	1	4
	5	27	2	25
	3	15	1	14
	1	7	0	7
	1	6	0	6
	1	5	0	5
	1	5	0	5

Performance of host nations

With only three wins in 16 occasions, the success rate of host nations winning the tournament is rather low at 19%, compared to the respective percentage in the FIFA World Cup which stands at 32% (6 out of 19). Yugoslavia was the last host to win, in 1970; the only other host to medal since then has been Turkey, silver medalist in 2010. Greece has been the only other host nation to finish fourth or better since 1970. From 1959 to 1982, the host qualified directly to the final round of the tournament, bypassing the preliminary round (group stage). The host's final rank in these years could not be worse than the number of teams in the final round (between six and eight). However, beginning in 1986, the host has competed in the preliminary round.

A "†" denotes that is the best performance of the team, a "‡" denotes it is the best performance of the team at the time of the competition.

Year	Host nation(s)	Finish	Last round*
		Champions†	Final round
		Runners-up‡	Final round
		Third place†	Final round
		Champions†	Final round
		Seventh place	Final round
		Champions†	Final round
		Seventh place	Final round
		Eighth place	Final round
		Seventh place†	Final round
		Fifth place‡	Final round
		Eighth place	Second round
		Seventh place	Preliminary round
		Fourth place‡	Third place playoff
		Sixth place	Quarter-finals
		Seventeenth place	Preliminary round
		Runners-up†	Final
		Fifth place	Quarter-finals
		24th place	Preliminary round
		24th place	Preliminary round
		19th place	Preliminary round
		Did not qualify	Did not qualify
		TBD	TBD

• excluding classification rounds.

Performance of defending finalists

Year	Defending champions	Finish	Defending runners-up	Finish
		Did not participate		Champions
		Runners-up		Champions
		Champions		Fourth place
		Third place		Runners-up
		Third place		Champions
		Runners-up		Sixth place
		Runners-up		Champions
		Third place		Champions
		Runners-up		Champions
		Third place		Runners-up
		Dissolved		Dissolved
		Third place		Runners-up
		Champions		Tenth place
		Round of 16		Fourth place
		Sixth place		Eleventh place
		Champions		Eighth place
		Seventh place		Fifth place
		Ninth place		Did not qualify

Performance by confederation

This is a summary of the best performances of each confederation in each tournament. Note that most confederations did not exist until up to the 1960s, and that FIBA assigned teams to a specific continent when there were no confederations yet.

Confederation	1950 (10)	1954 (12)	1959 (13)	1963 (13)	1967 (13)	1970 (13)	1974 (14)	1978 (14)	1982 (13)	1986 (24)	1990 (16)	1994 (16)	1998 (16)	2002 (16)	2006 (24)	2010 (24)	2014 (24)	2019 (32)	2023 (32)	2027 (32)
	5th	―	11th	―	―	13th	14th	14th	13th	13th	13th	14th	13th	15th	9th	15th	16th	17th	17th	TBD
	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=gold	1st	3rd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd	3rd	TBD
	―	3rd	4th	13th	11th	11th	13th	8th	12th	9th	14th	8th	14th	12th	9th	16th	20th	23rd	19th	TBD
	6th	4th	6th	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=gold	1st	bgcolor=gold	1st	TBD
	―	―	―	―	―	12th	12th	7th	5th	13th	7th	5th	9th	4th	9th	10th	12th	4th	10th	TBD

Number of teams by confederation

This is a summary of the total number of participating teams by confederation in each tournament. The number of teams in the confederation of a host federation is boldfaced.

Confederation	1950 (10)	1954 (12)	1959 (13)	1963 (13)	1967 (13)	1970 (13)	1974 (14)	1978 (14)	1982 (13)	1986 (24)	1990 (16)	1994 (16)	1998 (16)	2002 (16)	2006 (24)	2010 (24)	2014 (24)	2019 (32)	2023 (32)	2027 (32)
	1	0	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	3	3	3	5	5	TBD
	6	7	8	8	8	6	6	5	6	8	6	6	5	6	6	5	6	7	7	TBD
	0	2	2	1	1	1	1	3	1	3	2	2	2	2	4	4	3	6	6	TBD
	3	3	2	4	4	4	4	4	4	9	5	5	6	5	9	10	10	12	12	TBD
	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	2	1	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	2	TBD

External links

• FIBA official website

Notes and References

1. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1950–1990) qualified ten times under the name Yugoslavia prior to its breakup by the secession of many of its constituent republics in 1992. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia qualified twice in 1998 and 2002 as Yugoslavia and in 2006 as Serbia and Montenegro after a name change in 2003. FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro are considered the predecessors of the current Serbia team by FIBA; the latter competed for the first time as Serbia in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. These teams along with the other national teams which resulted from the breakup of the original Yugoslavia (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia) are considered distinct entities from the Yugoslavia team of 1930–1990. Montenegro now also compete separately after independence in 2006.
2. The national basketball team of the Republic of China competed twice in the FIBA World Championship, both times as Formosa, but since 1960 the team had changed their name to compete as Taiwan in international competitions. Since 1985, they have competed under the name Chinese Taipei.
3. The Soviet Union qualified nine times prior to being dissolved in 1991. The 15 nations that were former Soviet Republics now compete separately. FIBA does not consider any of these nations as the successor team of the Soviet Union.
4. [Czechoslovakia]
5. The German Basketball Association (DBB, for Deutscher Basketball Bund) has continuously existed as a national governing body since joining FIBA in 1934, during the Nazi era in Germany, After World War II, the DBB became the governing body for West Germany, and then became the governing body for reunified Germany in 1990. During the division of Germany, East Germany fielded a team of its own before re-joining West Germany and the DBB upon reunification. Thus, FIBA considers Germany and West Germany as one entity and officially attributes all results of the DBB team since 1934 to Germany. Germany competed in their first FIBA World Championship in 1986 as West Germany and in 1994 for the first time as Reunited Germany.
6. The national basketball team of the Republic of China competed twice in the FIBA World Championship, both times as Formosa, but since 1960 the team had changed their name to compete as Taiwan in international competitions. Since 1985, they have competed under the name Chinese Taipei.
7. [Czechoslovakia]
8. The German Basketball Association (DBB, for Deutscher Basketball Bund) has continuously existed as a national governing body since joining FIBA in 1934, during the Nazi era in Germany, After World War II, the DBB became the governing body for West Germany, and then became the governing body for reunified Germany in 1990. During the division of Germany, East Germany fielded a team of its own before re-joining West Germany and the DBB upon reunification. Thus, FIBA considers Germany and West Germany as one entity and officially attributes all results of the DBB team since 1934 to Germany. Germany competed in their first FIBA World Championship in 1986 as West Germany and in 1994 for the first time as Germany.
9. The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1950–1990) qualified ten times under the name Yugoslavia prior to its breakup by the secession of many of its constituent republics in 1992. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia qualified twice in 1998 and 2002 as Yugoslavia and in 2006 as Serbia and Montenegro after a name change in 2003. FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro are considered the predecessors of the current Serbia team by FIBA; the latter competed for the first time as Serbia in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. These teams along with the other national teams which resulted from the breakup of the original Yugoslavia (Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and North Macedonia) are considered distinct entities from the Yugoslavia team of 1930–1990. Montenegro now also compete separately after independence in 2006.