France to Host 2031 Men’s Basketball World Cup; Japan Awarded 2030 Women’s Edition
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FIBA on Wednesday selected France to stage the 2031 Men’s Basketball World Cup, while granting Japan the 2030 Women’s World Cup.
The men’s tournament is scheduled for Aug. 29–Sept. 14, 2031, and will be played in Lyon, Lille and Paris, with the final phase set for the French capital. It will be the first time France has hosted the event.
Japan’s women’s competition is slated for Nov. 26–Dec. 8, 2030, in Tokyo. The country last organized a global men’s championship in 2006 and served as a co-host in 2023.
“Japan and France are both elite organizers of global scale events, having hosted the two most recent summer Olympic Games, in 2020 and 2024 respectively,” FIBA said in its announcement.
The decision opens the door for San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who scored 26 points in France’s silver-medal game against the United States at the Paris Olympics, to compete in a World Cup on home soil.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed the news, posting on X that it is “a great source of pride for our country” and underscores France’s capacity to stage premier international sports events after the Paris Games.
The next Women’s World Cup will take place this September in Berlin, while the 2027 Men’s World Cup is scheduled for Qatar.
Source: ESPN
