The 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers are already underway, and most teams that participated in the previous edition already have a head start. Former co-hosts Philippines and Japan are doing well in Groups A and B. Australia, New Zealand, China, Jordan, Iran, and Lebanon are also looking on their way to join the showpiece event.
South Korea, Syria, and Saudi Arabia also hope to join after missing out the last time, while Qatar are playing like they’re not yet qualified despite being the hosts. Meanwhile, Guam, Chinese Taipei, Iraq, and India are lagging, but the good news is that they still have enough time to catch up.
The Top 3 teams from Groups A, B, C, and D will progress to the second round, divided into Groups E and F. From there, the Top 3 teams from those two groups will secure qualification for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, joined by the winner of the final battle between the two fourth-seeded teams.
Learn more about the latest FIBA World Cup 2026 updates, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Jordan and Qatar lead the Middle East contingent
Jordan are the top-seeded team in Group C, as they’re one of the two undefeated teams remaining in the ongoing Asian qualifiers. They opened their campaign with back-to-back routs of Syria, and they won 73-60 against Iran on Friday.
Their game against Iran was tightly contested through the first three quarters, but Jordan eventually pulled away in the final period. Jalen Harris had another masterful performance for Jordan, notching 29 points on 8-for-18 shooting from the field. The former Raptors guard is the tournament’s leading scorer, averaging 31.0 points per game. Jordan and Iran will meet again tomorrow in Zouk Mikael.
Qatar are the top-seeded team in Group D, with the highest point differential despite having the same record as Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. After losing a close one to Lebanon in the opening matchday, the Qataris bounced back against them in the rematch, then secured a 99-73 blowout win over India yesterday.
Brandon Goodwin led the way for Qatar against India, as the former Cavaliers guard had 23 points, five rebounds, two steals, and five three-pointers on 8-for-12 shooting from the field. In this tournament, Goodwin is the fourth-leading scorer, averaging 21.7 points per game.
China and Chinese Taipei have hope in Group B
Japan and South Korea are leading Group B with five points apiece. But China and Chinese Taipei are right behind them, following their recent victories in Okinawa and New Taipei City. After dropping their opening two games, China secured an 87-80 win over Japan on Thursday, and Chinese Taipei followed suit with a 77-65 win over South Korea.
China rallied from 15 down through Jinqiu Hu’s 20-point, 12-rebound double-double in under 28 minutes. Sanning Liao, Jiwei Zhao, Xining He, and Rui Zhao added 16, 14, 12, and 10 points in the comeback victory. Considering China are undermanned without stars Zhou Qi, Zhang Zhenlin, Zeng Fanbo, and Yang Hansen, this is a huge boost to their FIBA World Cup 2026 odds.
In contrast, Chinese Taipei delivered a wire-to-wire win over South Korea. Brandon Gilbeck anchored Chinese Taipei with 18 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks on 7-for-9 shooting from the field in 30 minutes. Benson Lin matched Gilbeck’s 18 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field to go along with three rebounds. Ray Chen and Samuel Manu added 13 points apiece.
Hyunjung Lee led South Korea in scoring in the losing effort, registering 18 points and eight rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting from the field in 27 minutes, while Kisang Yu added 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting from the field.
Philippines could join Australia and New Zealand
The Philippines are the second seed in Group A after back-to-back routs of Guam and losing to New Zealand last Thursday at home. In the 69-66 defeat, Gilas Pilipinas went toe-to-toe with the Tall Blacks, but the latter eventually pulled away down the stretch.
Naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee couldn’t save the Philippines this time, as the New Zealand defence keyed in on him. The Ginebra forward only had four points and six rebounds and coughed the ball up four times on 2-for-10 shooting from the field in almost 34 minutes of action. Dwight Ramos, CJ Perez, and Juan Gomez De Liano were the Gilas Pilipinas’ top scorers. Ramos finished with 16 points, eight rebounds, and two steals on 8-for-21 shooting from the field, and he almost sent the game into overtime with his last-second heave. Perez had 15 points, while Gomez De Liano added 10.
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