How to qualify for basketball at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
Basketball is always one of the most highly-anticipated competitions of the Olympic Games, and the qualification process starts in September 2022. Find out everything you need to know about the number of athletes, stars to watch and pathway to qualification below.
The Paris 2024 basketball tournament will be a sight to behold, and may be full of surprises. While the USA have clinched every gold medal in the women's competition since Atlanta 1996 and Beijing 2008 in the men’s competition, the level of other nations has risen substantially over the years.
Could there be a new Olympic champion in two years’ time?
The first clues may come during the international competitions and Olympic Qualifying Tournaments that will take place over the next two years. And it all begins with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 on 22 September.
Find out the answers to the most asked questions about the qualification system of basketball for Paris 2024.
How many basketball players will compete at Paris 2024?
A total of 288 players (24 teams) will compete in the Olympic Games Paris 2024 basketball tournaments. The number is the same for women and men: 144 for each gender.
In both tournaments, 12 teams will compete.
One quota place for each gender has been allocated to the host country, France. However, this quota place for the host country is subject to a FIBA Central Board decision that will be made on 30 June 2023. In the event that the Central Board does not award a direct spot to the host country, the number of teams qualified through the regular process shall be increased accordingly.
READ ALSO: The quest for Paris 2024 Olympic qualification begins
What is the basketball qualification pathway to Paris 2024?
The qualification process will be significantly different for women and men. Read on for all the details.
Men
1. The first competition providing a direct spot for Paris 2024 will be the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, scheduled from 25 August to 10 September in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
In total, seven quota places will be allocated during this World Cup, distributed to the best teams from respective continents based on the final classification and divided as follows:
Two for America
Two for Europe
One for Africa
One for Asia
One for Oceania
2. The four last quota places will be attributed via the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Paris 2024. There will be two rounds in each of those tournaments: Pre-Qualifying Tournaments (FOPQTs) and Qualifying Tournaments (FOQTs). The details are below.
FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments (FOPQTs)
In total, 40 teams will compete in the FOPQTs, picked from the previous FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers. The 40 teams will be made up of 28 teams that played in the second round of the previous FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers but did not qualify for the FBWC, and the 12 highest-ranked teams from the teams that did not qualify for the second round of the previous FBWC qualifiers.
Five teams from those FOPQTs will qualify for the FOQTSs.
The qualified teams for the FOPQTs will be divided by continents, as follow:
Eight teams from Africa (one will qualify for FOQT)
Eight teams from Americas (one will qualify for FOQT)
Eight teams from Asia (including Oceania) (one will qualify for FOQT)
16 teams from Europe (two will qualify for FOQT)
FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (FOQTs)
In total, 24 teams, representing all continents, are eligible to participate in the FOQTs.
There will be four tournaments of six teams each, and the winner of each tournament will qualify for the Olympic Games.
Participating teams will be divided as follow:
One team from Africa, the best placed team at the FIBA World Cup 2023 that is not directly qualified for the Games
One team from the Americas, the best placed team at the FIBA World Cup 2023 that is not directly qualified for the Games
One team from Asia, the best placed team at the FIBA World Cup 2023 that is not directly qualified for the Games
16 teams, the next best placed teams at the FIBA World Cup 2023 that have not directly qualified for the Games
One team from Africa from the FOPQTs
One team from the Americas from the FOPQTs
One team from Asia from the FOPQTs
Two teams from Europe from the FOPQTs
Women
1. The first competition delivering a direct spot for Paris 2024 will be the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 (FWBWC), scheduled from 22 September to 1 October in Australia.
One quota place will be allocated to the winner of the FWBWC.
2. The 11 last quota places will be attributed via the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for Paris 2024. There will be two rounds of those tournaments: Pre-Qualifying Tournaments (FWOPQTs) and Qualifying Tournaments (FWOQTs). The details are below.
FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments (FWOPQTs)
In total, 22 teams will participate in the FWOPQTs. There will be two tournaments of four teams in Asia and the Americas, and one of six teams in Africa. The top two teams at each tournament will qualify for the FWOQTs.
Participating teams are selected according to the FIBA Women’s Continental Cups 2023, with the best classified teams qualifying, as detailed below.
Six teams from Africa
Eight teams from Americas
Eight teams from Asia (including Oceania)
Note that the Women’s World Cup winner, if not from Europe, will participate in those FWOPQTs.
FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (FWOQTs)
In total, 16 teams, representing all continents/geographical regions, will qualify for the FWOQTs. There will be four tournaments of four teams each. In principle, each continent/geographical region should host one of the Qualifying Tournaments.
The three highest placed teams from each tournament will qualify for the Olympic Games.
FWOQTs participating teams are divided as follows:
Two teams from Africa (qualified through FWOPQT in Africa)
Four teams from Americas (qualified through FWOPQT in Americas)
Four teams from Asia (qualified teams from Asia and Oceania qualified through FWOPQT in Asia)
Six teams from Europe (France + the five best classified teams from the last FIBA Women’s EuroBasket).
Note that the FIBA Central Board reserves the right to confirm whether the FWOPQT will take place by 1 June 2023. In case FWOPQTs are not played, the specified number of teams per continent will qualify for the FWOQTs directly from the FIBA Women’s Continental Cups 2023.
Also note that the Olympic Games host country and FWBWC 2022 winners will participate in the FWOQTs.
What is the Paris 2024 basketball competition schedule?
The Paris 2024 basketball competitions will be held from 27 July to 11 August 2024.
The preliminary phase in currently scheduled to be held in Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, and the final phase in Arena Bercy in Paris, but it is still subject to approval and relevant agreements.
READ ALSO: Discover the full calendar of Olympic Games Paris 2024
Basketball athletes to watch at Paris 2024
Men
The USA will once again be the team to watch at Paris 2024. The men’s team has won the last four gold medals, including the last one available at Tokyo 2020 where they beat France in the final. Coached by San Antonio Spurs legend Greg Popovich, the USA won the title with many NBA stars including Kevin Durant, Zach LaVine, Draymond Green and Jayson Tatum.
Golden States Warriors coach Steve Kerr is now head coach of Team USA and there is a good chance that his star player, four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, will be part of the team, particularly as he stated that even with all his titles, he’s “not good yet” as he “has got to go play for coach Kerr in Paris 2024.”
France wil also be on the hunt for gold at their home Games, after a strong performance against the USA in the Tokyo 2020 final. Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier will be among their star names on show and, with NBA center Joel Embiid recently being granted French citizenship, they may just have enough about them to spring an upset in France.
Slovenia, who reached the semi-finals of Tokyo 2020, may also be strong contenders, with point guard Luka Doncic, three-time NBA All-Star, among their ranks.
Women
The USA’s domination of the women’s game is even more pronounced with the team winning all of the last seven Olympic gold medals. Since women’s basketball was added to the Olympic programme for Montreal 1976, they have won nine of the 12 titles on offer.
At Tokyo 2020, WNBA stars Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi won their fifth Olympic titles - the only basketball players to do so, as they overtook another legend: Teresa Edwards.
Bird will retire after the 2022 WNBA season, however Taurasi may be in Paris, as she recently became the first player over 40 in the American League to score 30 points in a single game with her team Phoenix Mercury. In the NBA, only Michael Jordan and Dirk Nowitzki have achieved such a feat.
If the USA remain strong favourites to win an eighth title in a row, France will also be contenders, with shooting guard Marine Johannes, who plays for New York Liberty, and the young power forward Iliana Rupert among their roster.
Belgium, who have improved a lot over recent years thanks to players like Emma Meesseman, could also cause a surprise after their quarterfinal run in Tokyo 2020 where they lost against host country Japan (86-85).
With an attractive style of play and a tallest player of 1.85m, Japan may also be ones to watch in France, as well as Team Australia who are always competitive in major competitions.
Basketball qualification timeline to Paris 2024
22 September - 1 October 2022: FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022, Australia
June 2023: FIBA Women’s EuroBasket 2023
August 2023: FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments
25 August - 10 September 2023: FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Philippines, Japan and Indonesia
November 2023: FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments
30 November 2023: NOCs to confirm use of allocated quota places to FIBA for women’s and men’s events
February 2024: FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024
TBC: FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024
8 July 2024: Paris 2024 Sports Entries deadline
26 July - 11 August 2024: Olympic Games Paris 2024
Find out more about the qualification system for other sports that will feature at Paris 2024