After a lengthy wait, basketball fans finally got to enjoy the event. The Basketball World Cup 2023 began on Friday, August 25, with an opening double header featuring Finland vs Australia and Angola vs Italy. Spain, competing on its own behalf, prepared for its opener against Ivory Coast this Saturday, while defending the title won in 2019 against Argentina was a major narrative in the early rounds.
The tournament, the second straight edition hosted in Asia, featured a group stage that kicked off this week and would culminate in a grand finale on September 10, followed by the bronze medal contest. Thirty-two teams took part, and the group stage was staged across three venues from August 25 to 30. Pool A through Pool D matches took place in Manila, Philippines.
Group E and Group F games were held in Okinawa, Japan. The remaining Group H and Group G matches were hosted in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where Spain also had a strong presence.
groups
The team field was divided into eight groups of four, with the first round played in a round-robin format, ensuring every team faced every other team in its pool.
- Group A: Angola, Dominican Republic, Philippines and Italy
- Group B: South Sudan, Serbia, China, and Puerto Rico
- Group C: United States, Jordan, Greece and New Zealand
- Group D: Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro and Lithuania
- Group E: Germany, Finland, Austria and Japan
- Group F: Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia and Venezuela
- Group G: Iran, Spain, Ivory Coast and Brazil
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Commercially “most successful” World Cup
At a roundtable discussion attended by news agency EFE, FIBA President Andreas Zagklis highlighted strong sponsorship momentum for the World Cup, noting that sponsorship packages were all sold and the number of backers had grown to 24. The event was described as financially robust, with expectations met for sponsor participation and revenue growth across the tournament.
It was noted that the 2023 edition would be the first to be split across three countries with matches hosted in five different cities. The group stage took place in Jakarta, Okinawa, Quezon City, Bocaue and Pasay, while the final rounds were staged in the Philippines’ capital region and surrounding venues.
Basketball World Cup 2023 schedules
Celebrating the World Cup on Asian soil, fans in Spain and across Europe adjusted to time differences. Daytime kickoffs were common, with the opening matches scheduled early to mid-morning local time in some regions. The group stage featured a series of matches that began at 10:00 local time for most groups, with some exceptions such as the Finland–Germany match starting earlier on August 29. The group stage concluded with a notable clash at 15:30 Peninsula time in Spain, before the next phase began following the end of the round-robin rounds.
Head coach Sergio Scariolo prepared his squad for a first-round showdown against Ivory Coast on a Saturday afternoon, with follow-up matchups scheduled for late August and early September. The tournament’s schedule remained flexible as teams moved into the knockout phase once group play concluded.
Where to watch the 2023 Basketball World Cup matches?
For comprehensive coverage, viewers could watch the full tournament on public platforms, with regional broadcasts varying by match and audience. Some games were carried by national broadcasters, while others aired on regional digital platforms. The on-demand service offered by FIBA also provided access to a wide range of games during the event.
Fans looking for online options could rely on the public broadcasting platform RTVE Play, which provided access alongside traditional channels. The broadcasting strategy emphasized accessibility across both traditional and digital platforms, ensuring fans could follow every game, no matter their location. Marked citations can be found in official updates and broadcast announcements from FIBA and national broadcasters. [Source attribution: FIBA and regional broadcasters]
To stay informed about all news and last-minute updates regarding the Spanish team, fans could refer to official tournament journals and bulletins published throughout the event. [Source attribution: Official World Cup communications]