# 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup
The 2019 [FIBA Basketball World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fiba-basketball-world-cup) was the 18th edition of FIBA's flagship men's national-team tournament, hosted by the People's Republic of China from August 31 to September 15, 2019, and won by Spain, which defeated Argentina 95-75 in the final at the Wukesong Sport Arena in Beijing to capture the Naismith Trophy with an undefeated record.[1](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-spain-recapture-fiba-basketball-world-cup-title-in-china) • [2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/all-time-medalists) It was the first edition with 32 teams, expanded from 24, and the first staged under FIBA's reformed competition system.[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Host and dates | People's Republic of China, August 31 to September 15, 2019[4](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2019s-32-team-field-complete-after-qualifiers-come-to-an-end) |
| Field | A record 32 national teams, increased from 24[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition) |
| Champion | Spain, undefeated, beating Argentina 95-75 in the final in Beijing[1](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-spain-recapture-fiba-basketball-world-cup-title-in-china) |
| Medalists | Spain (gold), Argentina (silver), France (bronze); Ricky Rubio named tournament MVP[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/all-time-medalists) |
| Qualification | Two years, six windows from November 2017 to February 2019, home-and-away games; 80 nations competed for 32 spots[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition) • [5](https://nz.basketball/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2018-Basketball-New-Zealand-Annual-Report-Final-version-for-website.pdf) |
| Team USA | Finished seventh, its worst World Cup result with NBA players, after a quarterfinal loss to France[6](https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/team-usa-fiba-world-cup-loss-france-basketball) • [7](https://www.nba.com/news/2023-fiba-world-cup-preview) |
## Calendar reform and new format
After the 2014 World Cup in Spain, FIBA's Central Board moved the next edition from 2018 to 2019 and set the tournament on a four-year cycle from then on, placing it in a year with more exclusivity away from other major sporting events such as the [FIFA World Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/fifa-world-cup) and the Olympic Games.[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition) • [8](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/v1729264387/bielfjg9pggruxjrvled.pdf) The field grew from 24 to 32 teams.[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition)
**Qualification system.** The 2019 edition introduced a two-year qualification period of six windows, in November 2017, February, June, September, and November 2018, and February 2019, with national teams playing home-and-away games in an open system with promotion and relegation between Division A and Division B.[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition) In total 80 nations competed for the 32 spots.[5](https://nz.basketball/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2018-Basketball-New-Zealand-Annual-Report-Final-version-for-website.pdf) Asia and Oceania were combined into a single Asia-Pacific qualifying region, while universality was retained for Olympic qualifying.[3](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition) The windows overlapped the NBA season, so NBA players were generally unavailable for most of them; Spain's NBA contingent, including [Pau Gasol](https://www.edgepedia.org/pau-gasol), Marc Gasol, and [Ricky Rubio](https://www.edgepedia.org/ricky-rubio), could play in at most some of the six windows.[9](https://as.com/baloncesto/2017/05/02/nba/1493742892_814813.html) The final spots were decided in February 2019, with [Montenegro](https://www.edgepedia.org/montenegro) taking the last European berth and reigning European champion Slovenia and Croatia among the notable European absentees.[10](https://as.com/baloncesto/2019/02/25/mas_baloncesto/1551126315_077016.html)
## Host country and venues
China was awarded the tournament and proposed eight host cities, more host cities than any previous edition of the World Cup.[11](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2019-fiba-basketball-world-cup-bids--chinas-cities-and-venues) The final was played at the Wukesong Sport Arena in Beijing.[1](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-spain-recapture-fiba-basketball-world-cup-title-in-china) As host, China qualified automatically, and the completed 32-team field was confirmed after the sixth and final qualifying window in February 2019.[4](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2019s-32-team-field-complete-after-qualifiers-come-to-an-end)
## The tournament
The competition ran in group phases followed by a knockout stage, the structure later retained for 2023 and 2027, in which eight groups of four open the event and the top two teams from each group advance.[12](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/competition-system) • [13](https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/Media-Guide.pdf)
**Semifinals.** Argentina, led by 39-year-old [Luis Scola](https://www.edgepedia.org/luis-scola), beat France 80-66 to reach the final.[14](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/documents-corporate-others-90th-anniversary-book-single-page.pdf) Scola averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds in the tournament and became the player with the most games played in World Cup history, passing Jerome Mincy.[15](https://as.com/baloncesto/2019/09/12/mundial_baloncesto/1568310808_739108.html)
**Final.** Spain completed an undefeated run in China by beating Argentina 95-75 at the Wukesong Sport Arena on September 15, 2019, winning its second World Cup title and the Naismith Trophy.[1](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-spain-recapture-fiba-basketball-world-cup-title-in-china) Ricky Rubio was named the tournament's top player.[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/all-time-medalists) France took the bronze medal by beating Australia.[2](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/all-time-medalists)
## Team USA's seventh-place finish
The United States, the defending champion, lost to France 89-79 in the quarterfinals, ending a 58-game winning streak in FIBA and Olympic competition with NBA players that dated back to the 2006 world championship loss to Greece.[6](https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/team-usa-fiba-world-cup-loss-france-basketball) Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 16 rebounds and [Evan Fournier](https://www.edgepedia.org/evan-fournier) 22 points for France, while [Donovan Mitchell](https://www.edgepedia.org/donovan-mitchell) led all scorers with 29.[6](https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/team-usa-fiba-world-cup-loss-france-basketball) [The Americans](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-americans) then lost to Serbia 89-94 in the classification round before beating Poland 87-74 in the seventh-place game, leaving seventh place as the worst World Cup result for a Team USA roster with NBA players.[7](https://www.nba.com/news/2023-fiba-world-cup-preview) • [16](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/cual-es-el-peor-resultado-del-team-usa-en-un-mundial-de-baloncesto-con-jugadores-nba-en-su-roster-n/)
## Aftermath
The 2019 results shaped the following cycle. Argentina qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as the top-ranked South American team from the 2019 World Cup, where it took silver, and nine members of its 2019 World Cup squad returned for the Olympic team.[17](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/documents-corporate-studies-and-facts-fiba-scouting-report-olympic-games-tokyo-2020-mens.pdf) Spain carried an 11-game World Cup winning streak into the 2023 tournament, where Argentina did not qualify and France was eliminated in the first round.[18](https://apnews.com/article/14e677d1bbafea64272d065abfe50e2c) The 32-team field and format introduced in 2019 were retained for 2023.[13](https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/Media-Guide.pdf)
## References
1. [Spain recapture FIBA Basketball World Cup title in China, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-spain-recapture-fiba-basketball-world-cup-title-in-china)
2. [All-Time Medalists, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/all-time-medalists)
3. [PR N°20 - Central Board gives green light to new format and calendar of competition, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/pr-n-020-central-board-gives-green-light-to-new-format-and-calendar-of-competition)
4. [FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019's 32-team field complete after Qualifiers come to an end, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/basketballworldcup-2019-news-fiba-basketball-world-cup-2019s-32-team-field-complete-after-qualifiers-come-to-an-end)
5. [FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, Basketball New Zealand Annual Report 2018](https://nz.basketball/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/2018-Basketball-New-Zealand-Annual-Report-Final-version-for-website.pdf)
6. [Team USA's FIBA World Cup loss spotlights international basketball's strength, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2019/09/12/team-usa-fiba-world-cup-loss-france-basketball)
7. [FIBA World Cup: Format, list of NBA players and how to watch, NBA.com](https://www.nba.com/news/2023-fiba-world-cup-preview)
8. [FIBA new competition format overview](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/v1729264387/bielfjg9pggruxjrvled.pdf)
9. [Ventanas: España sin sus NBA y EE UU utilizará la D-League, AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/2017/05/02/nba/1493742892_814813.html)
10. [Montenegro se queda el último billete europeo para el Mundial, AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/2019/02/25/mas_baloncesto/1551126315_077016.html)
11. [2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup bids - China's cities and venues, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/news/2019-fiba-basketball-world-cup-bids--chinas-cities-and-venues)
12. [Competition System, FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, FIBA](https://www.fiba.basketball/en/events/fiba-basketball-world-cup-2027/competition-system)
13. [FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Media Guide](https://www.fiba.basketball/basketballworldcup/2023/Media-Guide.pdf)
14. [FIBA 90th Anniversary Book](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/documents-corporate-others-90th-anniversary-book-single-page.pdf)
15. [La semifinal del subidón, AS](https://as.com/baloncesto/2019/09/12/mundial_baloncesto/1568310808_739108.html)
16. [¿Cuál es el peor resultado del Team USA en un mundial de baloncesto con jugadores NBA en su roster?, AS](https://as.com/us/masdeporte/cual-es-el-peor-resultado-del-team-usa-en-un-mundial-de-baloncesto-con-jugadores-nba-en-su-roster-n/)
17. [FIBA Scouting Report, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 Men's Tournament](https://assets.fiba.basketball/image/upload/documents-corporate-studies-and-facts-fiba-scouting-report-olympic-games-tokyo-2020-mens.pdf)
18. [The USA is in great position entering Round 2 of the World Cup, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/14e677d1bbafea64272d065abfe50e2c)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › International and FIBA basketball (including 3x3 and Olympic basketball)*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license