The 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup will be played in Beijing, China, from September 22-27, marking the first time the event has been hosted in the Chinese capital. FIBA announced Saturday that six teams will compete across two groups before the tournament concludes with the Championship Game on September 27.
The tournament will retain the six-team format introduced in 2023. The six clubs will be divided into two groups of three, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the Semi-Finals on September 26.
Group A features Rytas Vilnius of Lithuania, the Basketball Champions League Europe champion; Shanghai Sharks, the Chinese Basketball Association champions; and RSSB Tigers of Rwanda, the reigning Basketball Africa League champions.
Group B consists of Boca Juniors of Argentina, the Basketball Champions League Americas winners; hosts Beijing Royal Fighters; and NBA G League United, a select team from the United States that reached the Intercontinental Cup Final in both 2024 and 2025.
Rytas and RSSB Tigers will open Group A play on September 22, while Boca Juniors and Beijing Royal Fighters will meet in Group B. The September 23 schedule features NBA G League United against Boca Juniors and Rytas against Shanghai.
The group stage will conclude on September 24. RSSB Tigers will face Shanghai Sharks in Group A, while Beijing Royal Fighters will play NBA G League United in the final Group B game.
September 25 will be a rest day before the Fifth-Place Game and two Semi-Finals are played on September 26. The tournament will conclude the following day with the Third-Place Game and Championship Game.
The 2026 edition represents a new phase for the competition after three consecutive years in Singapore. The tournament has used its six-team format since September 2023, with European clubs winning two of the three editions during that span.
Unicaja of Spain won the Intercontinental Cup in 2024 and 2025, making it the only two-time champion in the current format. Sesi Franca of Brazil won the inaugural six-team edition in 2023 and remains the only Americas club to claim the title during this period.
NBA G League United is the only 2026 participant with previous Intercontinental Cup experience. The team reached the Championship Game in both 2024 and 2025 but did not win the tournament.
Rytas Vilnius, RSSB Tigers, Shanghai Sharks, Beijing Royal Fighters and Boca Juniors will all make their Intercontinental Cup debuts in Beijing. The tournament therefore brings together six clubs representing Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America in the 2026 field.
