Qatar marks one-year countdown to 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup

Qatar is one year away from hosting the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, which will bring 32 national teams to Doha from 27 August to 12 September 2027. The tournament will feature 92 games across four arenas and will be the first World Cup edition held in the Middle East.

It will also be the first time the FIBA Basketball World Cup is staged entirely in one city. That format will give fans the possibility of attending more than one game on the same day, with Lusail Arena, Al Attiyah Arena, Duhail Arena and Al Janoub Arena serving as the venues.

Al Janoub Arena is the most notable venue project ahead of the tournament. The 8,200-capacity basketball arena has been created from Al Janoub Stadium, which hosted seven matches during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The football pitch has been removed and the venue is now enclosed for basketball. New seating surrounds the court, the former retractable roof has been closed, and a large screen has been installed above centre court. The main concourse and hospitality facilities remain part of the stadium’s structure.

Designed by the late British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, the original stadium was known for its curved form, which drew inspiration from traditional dhow sails and Qatar’s maritime heritage. Its conversion is intended to show how facilities built for the 2022 football tournament can serve another major sporting event.

Al Janoub Arena will host its first competitive game next Thursday, when Qatar face China in an Asian qualifier exactly 12 months before the World Cup begins. Admission for that match will be free, allowing organisers to test the arena and the spectator experience before the tournament.

The World Cup will give Qatar’s existing major-event venues a new setting, with basketball expected to bring a different atmosphere to arenas previously associated with football and other large sporting occasions.