A celebration of basketball in Berlin

Why is the Women’s Basketball World Cup being held in Germany in 2026? 

From among a number of rival bids, Germany was selected to host the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. Germany’s idea of it being “Time for HER Game” convinced FIBA - the International Basketball Federation. What is more, it was one of the first countries to submit its bid. The fact that the tournament would be held in Berlin was a major plus point. The World Cup matches will be played in the German capital from 4 to 13 September 2026. The city is also home to Alba Berlin, one of the top teams in Germany’s first division for the men’s and women’s leagues. Berlin is a city that takes basketball seriously, with over 30 clubs and more than 250 basketball courts. The German NBA stars Franz and Moritz Wagner also grew up in Berlin. This is the second time Germany will be hosting the Women’s Basketball World Cup - the first time was back in 1998. 

What form will this year’s World Cup take? 

Compared with the 2022 tournament, the number of participating countries has been increased from twelve to 16. They will initially play in four groups, each comprising four teams. The winners of each group will qualify directly for the quarter finals. Second- and third-placed teams will then play an additional knockout round for the four other quarter-final places, but it will be the end of the tournament for the teams that come last in the group stage. 

Germany will be playing in Group A. Its first match will be against Spain on 4 September. It will then play Japan on 5 September and Mali on 7 September. Despite the US being the top favourite, the Germans also believe they have good chances of winning a medal. 

Who are Germany’s top women basketball players? 

Team Germany’s most outstanding players include Leonie Fiebich (New York Liberty), Luisa Geiselsöder and Frieda Bühner (both Portland Fire), who also play in the WNBA. Key roles will also be played by point guard Alexis Peterson-Smalls and captain Marie Gülich. Satou Sabally, who plays for New York Liberty, knows already that she will be missing the tournament because she is still recovering from a concussion. Her sister Nyara has also been battling with injuries. She plays for Toronto Tempo in the WNBA - the world’s top league. 

How popular is basketball in Germany? 

Basketball is very popular in Germany just now, partly thanks to the sensational World Cup victory that the men’s team captained by Dennis Schröder achieved in 2023. And the German women’s team amazed spectators when they took gold in the 3x3 basketball during their Olympic premiere in Paris in 2024. The World Cup in Berlin is attracting huge interest: more than 200,000 tickets have been sold - a new World Cup record.