FIBA Basketball World Cup champions: Germany joins full list headed by all-time leader USA

Gilbert McGregor

FIBA Basketball World Cup champions: Germany joins full list headed by all-time leader USA image

History has been made at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as Germany was crowned champion for the first time ever.

A thrilling championship game saw the German squad hold off Serbia behind the play of Dennis Schröder, who scored a game-high 28 points, capping off an incredible tournament run in which his team went undefeated.

Which countries have won the FIBA Basketball World Cup? Here is a complete list of champions in addition to runners-up, third-place finishers, and the list of countries with the most titles to their name.

MORE: Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio headline list of former FIBA World Cup MVPs

Complete list of FIBA Basketball World Cup champions 

The first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup, which was held in 1950, was won by host nation Argentina. The first seven World Cups did not feature a championship game, but rather a final group round-robin in which the team with the best record was crowned champion. 

Yugoslavia won the first-ever FIBA World Cup championship game, earning an overtime win over the Soviet Union in 1978.

YearChampionRunner-upThird place
2023GermanySerbiaCanada
2019SpainArgentinaFrance
2014USASerbiaFrance
2010USATurkeyLithuania
2006SpainGreeceUSA
2002FR YugoslaviaArgentinaGermany
1998FR YugoslaviaRussiaUSA
1994USARussiaCroatia
1990YugoslaviaSoviet UnionUSA
1986USASoviet UnionYugoslavia
1982Soviet UnionUSAYugoslavia
1978YugoslaviaSoviet UnionBrazil
1974Soviet UnionYugoslaviaUSA
1970YugoslaviaBrazilSoviet Union
1967Soviet UnionYugoslaviaBrazil
1963BrazilYugoslaviaSoviet Union
1959BrazilUSAChile
1954USABrailPhilippines
1950ArgentinaUSAChile

Countries with most FIBA World Cup championships

The United States National Team is tied with Yugoslavia for the most FIBA World Cup championships with five. Team USA won its first World Cup in 1954 and, most recently, won back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2014.

An archived version of FIBA's medal table from 2013 combines titles won by SFR Yugoslavia (1970, 1978, 1990) and FR Yugoslavia (1998, 2002), adding up to five championships. 2023 marks the first year in which there was a first-time winner since Spain won in 2006.

RankCountryChampionships
1.USA5
 Yugoslavia5
3.Soviet Union3
4.Brazil2
5.Spain 2
T-6.Argentina1
 Germany1

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.