FIBA World Cup Rankings: How does Canada stack up in the quarterfinals field?
Team Canada had two aims entering the summer of 2023: Punch a ticket to the Olympics, and win gold at the World Cup. There may never be a better window to accomplish that second goal and become champions of the world. Here’s where Canada ranks in the final field of eight.
Half the goal is complete.
Amid a well-deserved celebration that Canada had qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, that was the sentiment of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This group, he said, had two aims when they got together for camp at the end of July: Punch a ticket to the Olympics, and win gold at the World Cup.
It took a pair of dramatic comebacks against Spain, but the first part is accomplished. For the first time since 2000, the Canadian men are Olympics-bound.
There may never be a better window for Canada to accomplish that second goal and become champions of the world.
As Olympic-focused as North American sport can be, the World Cup is a bigger, deeper, more difficult tournament, one that’s weighted more heavily in world rankings, and one that truly helps Canada measure itself against the rest of the basketball world. Canada made the quarterfinals a few times in the past, but not since 1994, and they have never made the semifinals, let alone the podium, at this event.
History was made Sunday. History is right there once again.
Let’s see how Canada stacks up.