The world governing body for basketball has launched a new version of the FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike.
Thanks to the support of the company Assist Researchand its mathematical expertise, FIBA has developed an improved version of the ranking model, guided by three main objectives: to be simpler, more reflective of recent results, and more rewarding for teams that advance far in competitions.
The new system retains the key principles of the model introduced in 2017 to support FIBA’s international basketball competition structure. It continues to use a game-based approach, with rankings updated after each Qualifiers window and major FIBA event, helping teams track their progress in real time.
How it works
National teams earn points for every game played – they never lose points. Both teams receive base points for the game, with the winning team earning additional bonus points from various sources.
Later-stage tournament games award more points.
Points awarded vary by competition or Region.
Three key changes
From adaptive to accumulative
Previously, 1,000 points were split between the winner and loser of a game and then weighted into each team’s average rating.
That adaptive model has been replaced by an accumulative one, meaning teams add points to their current rating totals when they play a game.
Updated time discounting
In the past, rating points decayed over an eight-year period, decreasing every two years. Under the new system, a regular 33% discount is applied to teams’ rating points before each major FIBA event (World Cups, Olympics, Continental Cups).
The ranking order remains unchanged after this adjustment.
Refined scoring system for tournaments
Tournament progression rewards are now more detailed, offering more points to the teams as they advance through each round.
Regional weights
To ensure fairness and balance, individual weights are assigned to each Region – Africa, Americas, Asia (including Oceania) and Europe – as in the previous system.
However, these weights have now been recalibrated mathematically based on the results of all regional teams in global events over the last four years.
Regional weights will continue to be recalibrated every four years, to reflect the latest results from each Region’s teams.
Implementation
The new system will take effect starting with the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers Window 1, which tips off on November 24 across the globe. At launch, the current team rankings and points remain unchanged.
The rollout of the new FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by Nike will be followed next year by updates to the FIBA World Ranking Women, Boys, and Girls systems, based on the same methodology as the new FIBA World Ranking Men.
For more information about the methodology used in calculating the FIBA World Ranking Men, please visit the “How It Works” and “FAQ” sections, as well as detailed examples.
