World Cup 2023: USA, Canada and Slovenia already know their destination

The three host countries at the 2023 World Cup had the choice of a country to host in the group stage. Direction Philippines for USA, Indonesia for Canada and Japan for Slovenia.

Organized for the first time in three different countries, the 19th edition of FIBA’s major competition will take place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. On this occasion, the three host countries were each able to decide to host one country in all the group games, even before we know that all the nations qualified for the 2023 World Cup.

Each host country had the option to issue a preference based on commercial motives, these choices having no impact on the integrity of the competition or the draw. The latter will take place on 29 April 2023 in Manila (Philippines), the site of the group games and the final stages of the world, from 25 August to 10 September.

The United States will be divided into one of the four pools, playing in the Philippines from the group stage and remaining, in the event of qualification, in the same country. Slovenia and Canada will not experience the same fate. The selection led by Luka Doncic starts its tournament in Japan, while the Canadian team heads to Indonesia. This promises both formations a long flight between the two phases. Okinawa (Japan) is 1,400 kilometers from Manila, and Jakarta (Indonesia) almost twice as far.

Note that the USA is not yet guaranteed to qualify for the next World Cup, unlike Slovenia and Canada. It only takes a win for Team USA against Brazil or Uruguay in the final window of the playoffs to validate its ticket to the World Cup.