Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, have been drawn alongside hosts France, Germany, Korea, Colombia, and the Philippines in the Lyon-Villeurbanne group for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament, scheduled for March 11–17, 2026, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The draw, held on Tuesday at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, represents the final stage in determining the teams that will compete at next year’s World Cup in Berlin, Germany.
A total of 24 nations will feature across four host cities — Wuhan (China), Lyon-Villeurbanne (France), San Juan (Puerto Rico), and Istanbul (Turkey) — with 16 teams ultimately qualifying for the World Cup. The event was conducted by German player Marie Guelich and former French captain Endy Miyem, in the presence of FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis and officials from participating federations.
Nigeria, already assured of a place at the World Cup after winning the 2025 FIBA Women’s AfroBasket in August, will aim to build on their continental success on the global stage. Their victory in Kigali secured them a spot as one of Africa’s four representatives, alongside Mali, Senegal, and South Sudan.
FIBA’s Central Board recently approved the expansion of the Women’s World Cup to 16 teams, a move designed to create more opportunities for emerging basketball nations.
Under the new format, 24 teams will compete in four qualifying tournaments of six teams each. The top three from each group will join the continental champions and host nation Germany at the World Cup.
As one of the four continental champions — alongside Australia (Asia Cup winners), Belgium (EuroBasket winners), and the United States (AmeriCup winners) — D’Tigress enter the qualifiers as one of the top seeds.
The Lyon-Villeurbanne group presents a challenging but exciting test for Nigeria, who will face European giants France and Germany, as well as Korea, Colombia, and the Philippines. All six sides will battle for the available tickets to Berlin.
The African champions will be making their third appearance at the global showpiece, following outings in 2006 and 2018 — the latter yielding a historic eighth-place finish, the best-ever by an African nation.
The road to the 2026 World Cup began with the Pre-Qualifying Tournaments in August 2024, held in Kigali, Rwanda, and Mexico City, Mexico, where Hungary and the Czech Republic earned qualification to this stage.
The 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup will take place in Berlin, Germany, from September 4 to 13, 2026.
