Nigeria’s D’Tigress are set to face formidable opponents including host nation France, Germany (the 2026 World Cup hosts), South Korea, Colombia, and the Philippines as the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments kick off today in Lyon-Villeurbanne, France.
The tournaments, running from March 11–17, 2026, feature 24 national teams competing across four host cities—Wuhan (China), Lyon-Villeurbanne (France), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Istanbul (Türkiye)—to secure the remaining 11 spots at the flagship event in Berlin, Germany, scheduled for September 2026.
A total of 60 round-robin games will take place, with each team playing five matches against the others in their group.
The groups are as follows:
Wuhan, China: Belgium, Brazil, China, Czechia, Mali, South Sudan
Lyon-Villeurbanne, France: Colombia, France, Germany, Korea, Nigeria, Philippines
San Juan, Puerto Rico: Italy, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Senegal, Spain, USA
Istanbul, Türkiye: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Hungary, Japan, Türkiye
In the standard format, the top three teams from each tournament qualify for the World Cup, plus the continental champions (including Australia’s, Belgium’s, Nigeria’s as AfroBasket 2025 winners, and the USA’s).
However, due to the presence of both Germany (as World Cup hosts) and Nigeria (as AfroBasket champions)—both already qualified—in the France-hosted group, only the top two teams from this tournament will advance additional spots to Berlin.
D’Tigress, Africa’s dominant force and seven-time continental champions, arrive in Lyon ready to compete despite their automatic qualification. The tournament serves as valuable high-level preparation for the global stage, where Nigeria aims to build on their historic performances.
