The FIBA Basketball World Cup works through a qualification process followed by a final tournament format involving 32 teams.

Qualification Process

• Qualification takes place within four FIBA continental zones: Africa, Americas, Europe, and a combined Asia-Pacific zone (Asia + Oceania).
• Teams qualify through a two-round system played over about two years, with games played in "windows" on a home-and-away basis within groups.
• The host nation automatically qualifies for the World Cup.
• Unlike earlier years, Olympic results or continental championships no longer grant automatic qualification since 2019.
• The number of berths per zone for the World Cup is: Europe (12), Americas (7), Asia-Pacific (7), Africa (5), plus the host team (1), totaling 32 teams.

Tournament Format (as of the latest editions including 2023 and 2027)

• The final tournament has 32 teams divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each.
• Each team plays the other three teams in its group (round-robin), totaling 3 games per team in the first round.
• The top 2 teams from each group advance to a second group round where they again play teams they have not faced yet, with results from the first round carrying over.
• The best teams from the second round then advance to the knockout quarterfinals.
• Teams that do not advance compete in classification rounds for final ranking places from 17 to 32.
• This format ensures a progression from group stages to knockout stages to determine the World Cup champion.

This system balances continental qualification with a global tournament showcasing 32 teams competing through group and knockout stages to crown the world champion and often qualify teams for the Olympics as well.