7 games to look forward to at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

MIES (Switzerland) - The draw for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has been completed and the matchups for all of the 48 Group Phase games are now known. We are still counting down

until the start of the World Cup, but that doesn't mean that we can't already start looking at some of the most exciting games to look forward to before the competition hits Manila, Okinawa, and Jakarta.

Here are 7 games that are definitely worth clearing your schedule to watch live in action!

Philippines  vs Angola 

27 August 2023

The World Cup will be finally played in this basketball-crazed nation soon! This co-host nation will play their first game against Dominican Republic earlier on 25 August, but there's a bit more intrigue in their clash against Angola. These two teams also faced in World Cup 2019 with Angola winning in overtime, so the Philippines would like to get some revenge.

Some fans that were watching the draw live at the Araneta Coliseum were cheering when they saw Angola drawn with the Philippines... and that might light a fire in the African powerhouse.

Honestly though, any World Cup game involving the Philippines in the Philippines is a must-watch game.

Serbia  vs China 

26 August 2023

The first game on the first gameday in Group B is going to be a special one as Serbia goes up against China. This will be a bittersweet moment as it is a return to the coaching seat at a national team level for Serbian legend Sasha Djordjevic, albeit as the tactician for China. The last time Djordjevic sat as a national team coach? That was in World Cup 2019 when he was coaching Serbia.

Greece  vs USA 

28 August 2023

The loudest reaction throughout the draw (aside from Dirk Nowitzki asking for an assist from Luis Scola) was when Greece was confirmed to play in Group C - meaning they will face USA in the Group Phase. Because who does not want to potentially see the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo go up against the stars of USA as soon as possible? The fans in Manila were certainly buzzing and probably have already cleared their schedules to be prepared to watch this one.

Adding to the fire, Greece lost to USA in the Second Round of World Cup 2019. Who else is up for another round between these heavyweights?

Australia  vs Japan 

28 August 2023

We only get to this one a bit later in the Group Phase, but Australia vs Japan in Group E should be worth it. Do you remember how excited the Japanese fans in Chiba were when they rallied their home team to an upset over Australia back in the World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers? The stakes will be even higher in Okinawa, so expect the sparks to fly once again between these two teams.

Any Group E game

On a related note, any game in Group E should be considered a can't-miss event. Would you really want to miss any combination of Lauri Markkanen, Dennis Schroeder, Franz Wagner, Patty Mills, Josh Giddey, Yuta Watanabe, and Rui Hachimura potentially go up against each other?

We humbly respect your decision if you decide to miss out on that, but we will certainly not.

Spain  vs Brazil 

28 August 2023

The defending World Cup champions Spain play against Cote d'Ivoire in their first game of this World Cup and even though the African team are no pushovers, there might be a bit more focus on the game where they face the powerhouse from the Americas.

Spain might be the recent gold medalists, but both teams have won the competition twice with Brazil having four more podium finishes than their European counterparts. Brazil have also played in all World Cups up-to-date, something that Spain cannot say for themselves.

This is a historical bout without a doubt.

France  vs Canada 

28 August 2023

Indonesia basketball fans might be among one of the happiest about the results of the draw as they were able to confirm that aside from Canada, they will also be hosting another basketball powerhouse - France. And that clash is what every basketball fans in Jakarta will be talking about.

Considering how their rosters could be built, in terms of lining up NBA standouts like Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Jamal Murray, Andrew Wiggins for Canada and Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, and top prospect Victor Wembanyama, this game might just feature the most talent spread across both teams in the entire Group Phase.

What's not to like about that?

Which game are you looking forward to watching the most?

FIBA