FIBA Basketball World Cup champions: Germany joins full list headed by all-time leader USA
History has been made at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as Germany was crowned champion for the first time ever.
A thrilling championship game saw the German squad hold off Serbia behind the play of Dennis Schröder, who scored a game-high 28 points, capping off an incredible tournament run in which his team went undefeated.
Which countries have won the FIBA Basketball World Cup? Here is a complete list of champions in addition to runners-up, third-place finishers, and the list of countries with the most titles to their name.
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Complete list of FIBA Basketball World Cup champions
The first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup, which was held in 1950, was won by host nation Argentina. The first seven World Cups did not feature a championship game, but rather a final group round-robin in which the team with the best record was crowned champion.
Yugoslavia won the first-ever FIBA World Cup championship game, earning an overtime win over the Soviet Union in 1978.
Year | Champion | Runner-up | Third place |
2023 | Germany | Serbia | Canada |
2019 | Spain | Argentina | France |
2014 | USA | Serbia | France |
2010 | USA | Turkey | Lithuania |
2006 | Spain | Greece | USA |
2002 | FR Yugoslavia | Argentina | Germany |
1998 | FR Yugoslavia | Russia | USA |
1994 | USA | Russia | Croatia |
1990 | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union | USA |
1986 | USA | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia |
1982 | Soviet Union | USA | Yugoslavia |
1978 | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union | Brazil |
1974 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | USA |
1970 | Yugoslavia | Brazil | Soviet Union |
1967 | Soviet Union | Yugoslavia | Brazil |
1963 | Brazil | Yugoslavia | Soviet Union |
1959 | Brazil | USA | Chile |
1954 | USA | Brail | Philippines |
1950 | Argentina | USA | Chile |
Countries with most FIBA World Cup championships
The United States National Team is tied with Yugoslavia for the most FIBA World Cup championships with five. Team USA won its first World Cup in 1954 and, most recently, won back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2014.
An archived version of FIBA’s medal table from 2013 combines titles won by SFR Yugoslavia (1970, 1978, 1990) and FR Yugoslavia (1998, 2002), adding up to five championships. 2023 marks the first year in which there was a first-time winner since Spain won in 2006.
Rank | Country | Championships |
1. | USA | 5 |
Yugoslavia | 5 | |
3. | Soviet Union | 3 |
4. | Brazil | 2 |
5. | Spain | 2 |
T-6. | Argentina | 1 |
Germany | 1 |