What is FIBA?
FIBA — the International Basketball Federation — is the world governing body of basketball: founded in Geneva in 1932 by eight federations, headquartered since 2013 at the House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland, and uniting 212 national federations across five regional offices.[1] [2]
What does FIBA govern?
The international rules; the men's and women's Basketball World Cups and their continental qualifiers; Olympic basketball and the 3x3 discipline FIBA created and carried into the Games; youth World Cups; the FIBA World Rankings; and international player transfers — every cross-border professional move requires a FIBA letter of clearance between federations.[2] [3]
When was it founded and who leads it?
Founded June 18, 1932; the presidency rotates by region — Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani of Qatar holds the 2023–27 term ahead of his country's 2027 World Cup — with Secretary General Andreas Zagklis running the federation. FIBA is also the NBA's partner in the NBA Europe league project.[1] [4]
Why does FIBA matter?
Every national-team credential in basketball — World Cup and Olympic rosters, ranking positions, youth caps — and every international transfer clearance runs through FIBA and its member federations: the official paper trail of the world game.[2] [3]
References
- FIBA — About FIBA / history. Accessed August 2026.
- FIBA — official site. Accessed August 2026.
- FIBA — FIBA Basketball World Cup (competition system). Accessed August 2026.
- FIBA — Qatar 2027: the most compact World Cup ever. Accessed August 2026.