FIBA World Cup Winners from 1950 to 2024

FIBA Basketball World Cup is an elite tournament organized by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) every four years. Earlier, the tournament was known as the FIBA World Championship. From Argentina to the United States, this tournament has seen many winners since its inception in the year 1950.

You are going to love this article if you are a Basketball enthusiast. Here, we will try to relive the history by discussing FIBA World Cup Winners from 1950 to 2024. We will also let you know the runner-ups who just lost the glory by the slightest of margins.

FIBA Basketball World Cup Overview

Official name of the tournamentFIBA Basketball World Cup
Previous NameFIBA World Championship
Started In1950
Played After4 years
Number of teams32
Official websitewww.fiba.com/worldcup

Winners of the FIBA World Cup From 1950 to 2024

Here is a list of all winners of the FIBA World Cup since 1950 along with Host countries and runner-ups.

YearsHostWinnersRunners-Ups
1950ArgentinaArgentinaUnited States
1954BrazilUnited StatesBrazil
1959ChileBrazilUnited States
1963BrazilBrazilYugoslavia
1967UruguaySoviet UnionYugoslavia
1970YugoslaviaYugoslaviaBrazil
1974Puerto RicoSoviet UnionYugoslavia
1978PhilippinesYugoslaviaSoviet Union
1982ColombiaSoviet UnionUnited States
1986SpainUnited StatesSoviet Union
1990ArgentinaYugoslaviaSoviet Union
1994CanadaUnited StatesRussia
1998GreeceYugoslaviaRussia
2002United StatesYugoslaviaArgentina
2006JapanSpainGreece
2010TurkeyUnited StatesTurkey
2014SpainUnited StatesSerbia
2019ChinaSpainArgentina
2023Philippines, Japan, and IndonesiaTournament in progressTournament in progress
2027Qatar

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Details of All FIBA World Cup Winners So Far

Let’s take a look at some details about the teams that have won FIBA World Cups so far.  

  • 1950 – Argentina won the inaugural FIBA World Cup. They were also hosting the tournament. The young Argentina team defeated the United States in the final to claim the championship.
  • 1954 – Following their success in the inaugural tournament, Argentina couldn’t repeat their performance. Runner-up of the previous championship, the United States clinched their first FIBA World Cup gold.
  • 1959 – Brazil claimed their first FIBA World Cup title. They defeated defending champions United States in Chile.
  • 1963 – Brazil continued their winning streak by capturing their second consecutive World Cup title in Brazil. They defeated Yugoslavia in the final to retain their crown.
  • 1967 – The Soviet Union claimed their first World Cup championship in Uruguay. Yugoslavia lost their second consecutive World Cup final. It was a heartbreaking moment for them. 
  • 1970 – Finally, Yugoslavia emerged as winners after losing two finals consecutively. They were also hosting the championship.
  • 1974 – The Soviet Union captured their second World Cup title in Puerto Rico, defeating Yugoslavia in the final. They remained unbeaten throughout the tournament.
  • 1978 – Yugoslavia once again came back, securing their second World Cup victory by defeating the Soviet Union in the final in the Philippines. It was another hard-fought battle between the two powerhouses.
  • 1982 – The Soviet Union claimed their third World Cup championship in Colombia. They defeated the United States in the final.
  • 1986 – In Spain, the 32-year drought for the United States finally came to an end when they clinched their 2nd World Cup title. They were victorious against the defending champions Soviet Union.
  • 1990 – Soviet Union lost another final in 1990 when Yugoslavia defeated them to secure their 3rd World Cup Victory.
  • 1994 – The United States became the champions once again, this time in Canada. They defeated Russia in the final to claim their third World Cup title.
  • 1998 – Yugoslavia won the 1998 FIBA World Cup to become champions for the fourth time. The tournament was held in Greece.
  • 2002 – The Yugoslavian National Basketball team repeated their success and won their 5th title.
  • 2006 – We got a new winner in 2006. In the championship held in Japan, Spain emerged as winners for the first time. Greece was the runner-up that year.
  • 2010 – The United States captured their fourth World Cup championship defeating Turkey in the final. Turkey was also hosting the championship in 2010.
  • 2014 – The United States again dominated the World Cup and claimed their 5th title. No team was able to beat them throughout the tournament.
  • 2019 – In a thrilling tournament held in China, the Spanish national basketball team clinched their second FIBA World Cup title.

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Most Medals in the FIBA World Cup

TeamsGold MedalsSilver MedalsBronze MedalsTotal Medals
United States53412
Yugoslavia53210
Soviet Union3328
Brazil2226
Spain2002
Argentina1203
Russia0202
Greece0101
Serbia0101
Turkey0101
Chile0022
France0022
Croatia0011
Germany0011
Lithuania0011
Philippines0011

Frequently Asked Questions

Which country has won the most FIBA World Cups?

The United States has won the most FIBA World Cups with a total of five championships.

When was the first FIBA World Cup held?

1950

How often is the FIBA World Cup held?

It takes place every four years.

How many times has Argentina won the FIBA World Cup? 

One time only.

When and where will the next FIBA World Cup be held?

In 2027 in Qatar.

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