What does FIBA stand for and how many countries will participate in the Women's Basketball World Cup?
The 2026 tournament features an expanded 16-nation field in Berlin.
FIBA is the international governing body for basketball, but its name comes from the organization's original French title rather than its modern English name.
FIBA originally stood for Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur , which translates to International Amateur Basketball Federation.
The organization later removed "Amateur" from its official name in 1989, becoming the International Basketball Federation, but the familiar FIBA acronym was retained.
It oversees major international basketball competitions, including the men's and women's World Cups and basketball tournaments connected with the Olympic Games.
How many teams are in the Women's Basketball World Cup?
The 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup will feature 16 national teams when it takes place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 through September 13.
That represents an expansion from the 12 teams that competed at the previous edition in Sydney in 2022.
FIBA says the move to 16 teams reflects the increasing popularity of women's international basketball.
Germany qualified automatically as the host nation, while Australia, Belgium, Nigeria and the United States secured direct qualification by winning their respective continental championships in 2025.
The remaining places were decided through qualifying tournaments.
Which countries qualified for the 2026 World Cup?
The final field consists of Australia, Belgium, China, Czechia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mali, Nigeria, Puerto Rico, Spain, Turkiye and the United States.
Those 16 countries have been divided into four groups of four for the opening stage.
Group winners advance directly to the quarterfinals, while teams finishing second and third play an additional qualification game for a place in the last eight. The bottom team in each group is eliminated.
That expanded format means the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup will be the largest edition since FIBA moved away from the previous 12-team format.
So while FIBA's name dates back to the organization's amateur roots, its flagship women's tournament continues to evolve, with 16 countries now competing for the world championship in Berlin.
