Italian
Groups Drawn for FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026 Qualifiers: Italy to Play in Puerto Rico with USA, Spain, New Zealand, and Senegal
MIES (SWITZERLAND) – The draw at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies (Switzerland) has handed Italy’s women’s basketball team (ItalBasket) a challenging group on their road to the FIBA Women’s World Cup 2026, set to take place in Berlin from September 4 to 13, 2026.
Italy has been placed in Group B in San Juan, Puerto Rico, alongside the host nation, USA, Spain, New Zealand, and Senegal.
The qualifying tournament will be held from March 11 to 17, 2026, and the top three teams from each of the four groups will earn a spot at the World Cup.
With Team USA already qualified as continental champions, the Azzurre will debut on March 11 against Puerto Rico, face New Zealand the following day, then play the USA on March 14, Spain on March 15, and Senegal on March 17.
Currently, five teams have already secured a place at the World Cup:
- Germany (host nation)
- The 2025 continental champions: Australia, Belgium, Nigeria, and USA
That leaves 11 spots still up for grabs.
Due to the presence of both the African champions (Nigeria) and the host country (France) in Group D, only two other teams will be able to qualify from that group.
Coach Capobianco’s Comments
Head coach Andrea Capobianco shared his thoughts on the draw:
“This is a World Cup Qualifying Tournament, and only strong teams take part in such events — it’s unthinkable to hope for an easy group.
The group we’ve been drawn into is very tough, featuring world-class teams like the USA and Spain, as well as emerging teams, and of course the host nation, Puerto Rico.
We’ll be facing teams we haven’t played much recently, with very different styles from those we’re used to.
Apart from the USA, I believe all matches are wide open.
Our only option is to play at the highest level — and to do that, we’ll need to make the most of every minute during the mini training camp in March before flying to San Juan.”
Italy’s Group B Schedule
- March 11 – Italy vs Puerto Rico
- March 12 – New Zealand vs Italy
- March 14 – USA vs Italy
- March 15 – Italy vs Spain
- March 17 – Senegal vs Italy
Full Group B Schedule (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- March 11
- Italy vs Puerto Rico
- USA vs Senegal
- Spain vs New Zealand
- March 12
- New Zealand vs Italy
- Senegal vs Spain
- Puerto Rico vs USA
- March 14
- USA vs Italy
- Senegal vs New Zealand
- Spain vs Puerto Rico
- March 15
- Italy vs Spain
- New Zealand vs USA
- Puerto Rico vs Senegal
- March 17
- Senegal vs Italy
- Puerto Rico vs New Zealand
- Spain vs USA
The 4 Qualifying Groups
Group A (Wuhan, China)
- China
- South Sudan
- Brazil
- Belgium
- Czech Republic
- Mali
Group B (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
- Italy
- New Zealand
- Puerto Rico
- USA
- Senegal
- Spain
Group C (Istanbul, Turkey)
- Hungary
- Turkey
- Argentina
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
Group D (Lyon, France)
- Colombia
- Philippines
- Germany
- South Korea
- France
- Nigeria
