FIBA 3x3 World Cup Antwerp 2022: Preview, schedule and teams to watch

Basketball 3x3 stars from around the world are descending on Antwerp, Belgium for the seventh edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Cup taking place from 21 - 26 June.

The event, which is going to be streamed live on Olympics.com, will run both men and women’s competitions in tandem meaning a total of 40 teams – 20 men’s and 20 women’s - will all be vying for the chance to be named world champions.

Out to defend their crown in the men’s competition are Team USA who were victors when the competition was last held three years ago in Amsterdam. In the women’s event it was China who clinched the title.

Both teams will be hoping they can go back-to-back but 19 other teams across both competitions will be trying to stop them.

If the stakes weren’t already high, a new feature for this year’s tournament has been added to guarantee drama from the very start.

The winner of each pool will qualify directly to the quarter-finals rewarding those who are able to start strong early.

Excited? Read on to find out more.

FIBA 3x3 Basketball World Cup: Format, pools and schedule 

The 20 men’s and women’s teams that have made it to Antwerp have been divided into four pools of five and seeded based on the 3x3 Federation Ranking. 

Each team in their pools will play-off against each other once. The best team from each pool will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals while the second and third-placed teams will enter into a play-in eighth-finals.  

After the quarter finals, there is a knock-out stage leading up to the finals. There will be no classification games.

Instead, overall standings (places five to 20) will be determined following 3x3 standings rules.   

FIBA 3x3 World Cup: Pools 

Here are the men’s pools for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup: 

Pool A 

• Serbia 
• France 
• Puerto Rico 
• Brazil 
• New Zealand 

Pool B 

• Lithuania 
• Germany 
• Mongolia 
• Chinese Taipei 
• Chile 

Pool C  

• Latvia 
• Netherlands 
• Poland 
• Japan 
• China 

Pool D 

• Belgium 
• USA 
• Austria 
• Egypt 
• Slovenia

Here are the women’s pools for the FIBA 3x3 World Cup: 

Pool A 

• Germany 
• Romania 
• Lithuania 
• Japan  
• China 

Pool B 

• France 
• USA 
• Austria 
• Brazil 
• New Zealand 

Pool C  

• Poland 
• Mongolia 
• Egypt 
• Dominican Republic 
• Belgium 

Pool D 

• Spain 
• Netherlands 
• Canada 
• Chile 
• Austria

The pool matches will begin on Tuesday 21 June and will run until Friday 24 June. 

There will be four sessions per day (all times in CEST): 

• Session one – 11:00 
• Session two – 14:00 
• Session three – 17:05 
• Session four – 20:10  

Saturday 25 June sees the last 16 matches and quarter-finals tip-off and will similarly take place across four sessions.  

• Session one – last 16 play-offs - 11:10 
• Session two – last 16 play-offs - 13:40 
• Session three – quarter-finals one and two – 16:35 
• Session four – quarter-finals three and four – 20:15 

The final day of action in Antwerp will be all about the semi-finals and finals. 

• Session one – semi-finals – 17:15 
• Session two – third-place matches – 19:55 
• Session two – women's final – 20:55 
• Session two – men's final – 21:30 

The prize ceremony will then follow the conclusion of the men’s final.

FIBA 3x3 Antwerp 2022: Teams to watch 

Serbia men 

No team has owned the 3x3 World Cup quite like Serbia. 

With four goals medals (2012, 2016-18) and a silver (2014) to their name the number one ranked team will be a force to be reckoned with at this year’s event not least because of their recent form.

Team Serbia has won the first two Masters of the World Tour events setting them up rather nicely for the first World Cup in three years.

Throw into the mix their ‘surprise’ bronze at Tokyo 2020, in 2021, which would have been deemed a disappointment given their reputation, Serbia - led by Strahinja Stojacic - will be the one's to stop.

USA women 

While America’s men’s team will undoubtedly be on everyone’s radars as they touch down in Antwerp as the defending champs be sure to keep an eye out too for the women of red, white and blue. 

Team USA may have named a roster that looks very different to the won that won Olympic gold in Japan but there is no reason to be less wary.

With gold-medal winning experience and fresh, young talent the US are hoping they've got the perfect blend. 

Cierra Burdick is no stranger to representing her country in basketball both in five-on-five and 3x3 owning gold medals in both. 

She will be buoyed by young guns Lauren Cox and Hailey Van Lith.  

Cox is making her USA Basketball 3x3 debut having previously won gold medals at the FIBA U19 world championships and 2014 FIBA U17 world championships while Van Lith is the 2019 FIBA 3X3 U18 World Cup MVP and is looking to make a name for herself on the senior stage.

Germany women

As the current top ranked side with the number one ranked player Germany will be a team not to be trifled with this week.

Table topper Sonja Greinacher and her team featuring Svenja Brunckhorst and Luana Rodefeld arrive in Belgium not only backed by the statistics but also by recent, on-court form.

Team Germany won the opening event of the Women's Series in Tel Aviv last month ahead of Lithuania and France, who finished second a third.

Will they be the ones to dethrone the Americans in Belgium?

Latvia men

Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions Latvia are undoubtedly a team in contention at this year's World Cup but face the unenviable prospect of what is surely Antwerp's 'Group of Death'.

Joining Latvia in Group C are Netherlands, China, Poland and Japan who were all present at the Games last year.

While it may mean that whoever emerges out on top will be battle-scarred you can also bet they will be well-tested ahead of the following stages.

Thankfully for the eastern European country they will have renowned buzzer beater Nauris Miezis in their ranks. His presence will no doubt bolster Latvia.

How to watch FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022 in Antwerp

You catch all the action from the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022 beginning 21 June on Olympics.com's live stream.