NBA

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.

MORE: Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio headline list of former FIBA World Cup MVPs

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An archived version of FIBA’s medal table from 2013 combines titles won by SFR Yugoslavia (1970, 1978, 1990) and FR Yugoslavia (1998, 2002), adding up to five championships. 2023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

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