MIES (Switzerland) - Global youth basketball fans will turn their attention to Türkiye starting on June 29 as the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2024 tips off in Istanbul. Here is a breakdown on everything you need to know about the seventh edition of the biennial tournament with all 16 teams hoping to raise the trophy on July 7.
What is the format?
The 16 teams in the competition were drawn into four groups of four teams. All teams will play each of the other nations in their group in round robin style in the Group Phase over the first three days of action in Istanbul.
Group A: Lithuania, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Spain Group B: China, France, Guinea, USA Group C: Argentina, Italy, New Zealand, Türkiye Group D: Australia, Canada, Egypt, Germany
All 16 teams advance to the Knockout Phase, starting with the Round of 16. The top finisher in Group A then takes on the fourth placed team from Group B. Group A's second place finisher faces the third place team from Group B; the third placed team from Group A plays Group B's second place team; and the Group B winner faces the fourth place team from Group A. The same crossover takes place among the Group C and Group D teams.
You will find more info about the competition system here.
For more information about the host city, visit the destination page for Istanbul, and here you can check out the venues.
Who won it last time around?
United States fought past hosts Spain in the Final of the FIBA U17 World Cup 2022 with Spain's Izan Almansa taking home Most Valuable Player honors - the first time a player not from the winning team won the trophy. The Americans also won the first five global cadet championships.
Here are links to recaps of the past FIBA U17 World Cups: 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2022.
You can find the all-time list of medalists here.
Which players have appeared in this tournament in the past?
Many great players have competed in this event since its inaugural competition in 2010. Here is a look back at the Top 20 ballers of all time - 20-16, 15-11, 10-6 and 5-1.
Also, you can vote on who you think is the #FIBAU17 GOAT and who had the greatest single game in FIBA U17 World Cup history.
How did the teams qualify for this 2024 edition?
With Türkiye qualified as hosts, the other teams booked their tickets to the 2024 edition via their continental championship. USA, Canada, Puerto Rico and Argentina came through the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2023. Guinea and Egypt secured their spots from the FIBA U16 AfroBasket 2023.
Australia, New Zealand, China and Philippines got their tickets through the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2023. And Spain, Italy, France, Lithuania and Germany finished top five in the FIBA U16 EuroBasket 2023.
What is at stake?
The winners will anxiously await the moment when they can hoist the much-coveted trophy, and they also will get to call themselves U17 world champions at least until 2026.
Where can I watch the games?
All of the games will be broadcast for free on the FIBA YouTube channel and you can consult the schedule page for when your favorite team is playing.
Where can I buy tickets?
Tickets for the games can be purchased here.
Do you have more information about the participating teams?
Make sure to check out our synopsis on the 16 participating teams and also we looked at every team and tried to argue why they could win the crown - here is Part 1 and this is Part 2.
Our social media team will be hard at work to give you the best coverage possible on dedicated NextGenHoops channels on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
You should also look out for #FIBAU17 and make sure you include the hashtag on your posts too!
FIBA