Ukraine's national basketball team has made a significant leap in the world rankings of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) following a successful conclusion to the final round of the 2027 World Cup summer qualifying cycle. According to FIBA's official website, as cited by Sport RBC.UA, Ainars Bagatskis's charges won two consecutive games in the August qualifying matches, allowing the team not only to top its qualifying group but also to improve its standing in several of the federation's ranking tables.
Two wins that changed the balance of power
The August qualifying matches ended with a maximum result for the Ukrainian team. First, the "blue-and-yellow" side sensationally defeated the powerful Greek national team 82:76, and a few days later edged out Montenegro 98:89. Two straight wins allowed the Ukrainian team to take sole possession of the top spot in its qualifying group, cementing its status as one of the main favorites in the European qualifiers. These results became the key factor in the reassessment of Ukraine's position in the updated FIBA rankings.
Ukraine in FIBA's world and European rankings
In the updated FIBA world ranking, Ukraine climbed one spot and now holds 37th place, overtaking Estonia. In the European national teams table, the Ukrainians rose to 20th place. Particular attention should be paid to the updated "Power Rankings" register, where the International Basketball Federation highlighted the Ukrainian team's success: the national side jumped three spots at once and now ranks 7th among all participants in the European qualifiers. Such growth in the Power Rankings indicates that the federation's analysts assess the current form and potential of the Ukrainian team as among the highest in the European qualification.
Changes at the top of the world ranking
In addition to the changes in Ukraine's position, notable reshuffling occurred at the top of the FIBA world ranking. France rose to third place, overtaking Serbia, which had previously held that spot. Turkey added two spots at once and returned to the world's top 10. Meanwhile, Brazil dropped out of the top ten and now occupies 11th place. These reshuffles reflect the overall dynamics of the summer qualifying match results and the redistribution of strength in world basketball ahead of the 2027 World Cup.
Upcoming opponents and the schedule of remaining matches
The next segment of the World Cup qualifying will take place in the autumn. Ukraine's next opponent will be Portugal, which currently sits at 44th in the FIBA world ranking. Before the end of the qualifying tournament, the "blue-and-yellow" side will face repeat duels against Greece (13th in the world ranking), Montenegro (18th) and Portugal. The official matches are scheduled for November 2026, as well as February and March 2027. Thus, the Ukrainian team will have the opportunity to consolidate its lead in the group and, in effect, guarantee its participation in the World Cup final tournament.
Context: the return of Russia and Belarus to international basketball
It is worth noting that the update of the FIBA rankings is taking place against the backdrop of another resonant decision by the federation: it was previously announced that FIBA has allowed the national teams of Russia and Belarus to return to international tournaments. This decision, made amid ongoing geopolitical restrictions in other sports, may affect the overall structure of future qualifying cycles and the distribution of places in the world rankings. For the Ukrainian team, which is showing confident play in the current qualifiers, such changes create an additional context for assessing the competitive environment in European basketball.
