FIBA STRATEGIC PRIORITY
FIBA aims to create a club competition system around the world that is clear and consistent. By utilizing long-term formats and qualification routes, we ensure competitions and participation are based on sporting merit across all regions. This provides a clear pathway from grassroots to the international level for elite athletes.
Club competitions for men exist across all FIBA’s regions, with the Basketball Champions League (BCL) now one of the most recognized club competitions in the world.
Meanwhile competitions exist across three of four regions for women, with plans in place to introduce a women’s league in Asia. In 2023, the Women’s Basketball League Americas (WBLA) was launched.
This strategic priority is underpinned by four specific goals:
Goal 1: Offer a clarity of competition format and qualification process
Goal 2: Promote FIBA’s model based on sporting criteria
Goal 3: Optimize synergies within the FIBA Family
Goal 4: Achieve financial sustainability
FIBA INTERCONTINENTAL CUP
Introduced in 1966, it brings winning clubs from different continents together to compete for a prestigious title. An important showcase for top club teams, it reflects the strength of professional basketball leagues globally.
The six participants come from the respective winners of: Basketball Champions League (BCL), Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA), Basketball Africa League (BAL), NBA G League, FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) and the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
EUROPE
Basketball Champions League
Gaining a global audience and worldwide recognition, the flagship Basketball Champions League (BCL) has had 150 competing clubs from 37 countries during seven highly successful seasons.
EuroLeague Women
EuroLeague Women is one of two elite women’s club competitions in the world. With a rich history, it continues to feature the best players in the women’s global game, is soaring in popularity and attaining record-breaking levels of engagement from its rapidly growing fan base.
FIBA Europe Cup
Launched in 2015, the compelling FIBA Europe Cup has seen seven different winners of the competition from six different countries.
EuroCup Women
EuroCup Women provides opportunities for clubs often aspiring to play in EuroLeague Women. It is an exciting and unpredictable competition that has seen a staggering 18 different winners in 22 seasons.
AMERICAS
Basketball Champions League Americas
Since 2019 the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA) has featured clubs from 10 different National Federations across the continent. It has helped to develop the FIBA brand and raise the quality of men’s competition in the region.
Women's Basketball League Americas
The recently launched Women's Basketball League Americas (WBLA) is also making positive waves with a total of eight teams from seven countries taking part in the inaugural 2023 season.
Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto
The Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto is FIBA’s prestigious club league in South America. It has a rich heritage stretching back to 1996 with legends like FIBA Hall of Famer Oscar Schmidt having previously participated.
Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto Femenino The Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto Femenino is a South American Women’s League that welcomed a new format for 2023 and featured eight sides from six nations.
AFRICA
Basketball Africa League
The Basketball Africa League (BAL) has delivered an exciting era for club basketball on the continent since launching in 2021. A joint FIBA and NBA venture, it features 12 teams qualifying via FIBA’s domestic competitions.
Road to BAL
The Road to BAL features more than 20 teams playing in the qualification tournament system across the continent with six places up for grabs. Since inception, 18 nations have been represented and sell-out crowds were at the 2023 season showpiece.
African Women’s Basketball League
The African Women’s Basketball League (AWBL) was launched in 2023 as an exciting rebrand of the FIBA Africa Women's Champions Cup which has been going more than 30 years. The leading teams on the continent continue to test themselves against their peers in this prestigious competition.
ASIA
Basketball Champions League Asia
Formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) was launched in 2024 and delivers synergy with partner BCL competitions in Europe and Americas. It includes the continent’s leading teams, with qualifiers offering two clubs an opportunity to join champion teams from Japan (B.League), Korea (KBL), China (CBA League), the Philippines (PBA) - plus another two clubs from the FIBA West Asia Super League.
West Asia Super League
The FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) features the best clubs from West Asia and the Gulf regions, as well as Central and South Asia. Launched in 2022, it showcases FIBA’s commitment to developing National Federations and teams through national leagues. Through the WASL, clubs from the West Asia, Gulf, Central Asia, and South Asia sub-zones have the opportunity to qualify for the BCL Asia.
Women’s Basketball League Asia
The inaugural FIBA Women’s Basketball League (WBL) Asia was played in Chengdu, China, from 26-28 September 2024. This premier club competition represented a key milestone in advancing women’s basketball across Asia and also aligns with FIBA's Women in Basketball strategic priority; the WBL Asia featured four teams: WCBA champions Sichuan Yuanda Meile, WJBL champions Fujitsu Red Wave, WSBL champion Cathay Life, and Indonesia’s Surabaya Fever.
East Asia Super League
Following a ten-year agreement granted in 2020, the East Asia Super League (EASL) inaugural season tipped off in October 2022 with eight champion teams from each region participating.