Qatar closed the third window of the Asian qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 with a 76-73 win over Saudi Arabia in Jeddah on Sunday evening, finishing Group D second on 10 points behind Lebanon. The away victory came in a fourth-quarter comeback, with Qatar erasing a third-quarter deficit to seal the result. The win locked the runner-up spot and the seeding for the second round.
The result carried a deeper weight than the group standings. Qatar is hosting the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the Jeddah win sharpened the host nation’s edge ahead of the second phase of qualifiers that will determine which teams join it on home soil.
The Three Minutes That Flipped the Game in Jeddah
Saudi Arabia controlled the first three quarters of Sunday’s game at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, edging the opening period 18-17 and tying the second 15-15 to carry a narrow lead into halftime. The hosts pushed the lead wider in the third, taking the period 21-15. Qatar had not led at any point in the first 30 minutes.
Qatar came back with a 29-19 fourth quarter, tightening its defense and finding the offensive surge that had been missing through the first three periods. Alen Hadzibegovic led Qatar with 21 points; Mohammed Ali Abdulrahman led Saudi Arabia with 19. The 76-73 final gave Qatar the away win and the runner-up spot in Group D. Qatar won the fourth quarter 29-19, the only period of the night the team won after not leading at any point in the first 30 minutes. The game sits on the Jeddah qualifier’s full boxscore as the final first-phase meeting between the two.
| Quarter | Qatar | Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| First | 17 | 18 |
| Second | 15 | 15 |
| Third | 15 | 21 |
| Fourth | 29 | 19 |
| Final | 76 | 73 |
Group D Closes With Lebanon on Top, Qatar Second
Qatar’s win in Jeddah combined with Lebanon’s 98-72 victory over India in the other Group D fixture to set the final first-phase standings. Lebanon finished first, Qatar in second place, and Saudi Arabia third, with India at the bottom and out. All three of the top teams advanced to the second round.
Three of the four Group D teams had secured their places in the second round before the final games. The Jeddah result settled only the seeding.
The path from here runs through the second round, where the qualifiers’ remaining teams are split into new groups that carry over the points earned in the first phase. The structure sees teams face fresh opponents in a home-and-away round-robin, with the carry-over points keeping first-phase results relevant. The top finishers in each second-round group will earn a place in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup that Qatar is hosting. For Qatar, the Jeddah win pushed it past Saudi Arabia into second. The full Group D picture is preserved on the Asian qualifiers standings page, with Qatar’s runner-up finish and Saudi Arabia’s third-place finish the final order of the window.
| Team | Points | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Lebanon | 11 | Qualified for the second round |
| Qatar | 10 | Qualified for the second round; 2027 host |
| Saudi Arabia | 9 | Qualified for the second round |
| India | 6 | Eliminated |
Qatar’s Six-Game Path to the Second Round
Qatar closed the first phase with 10 points, behind Lebanon’s 11 and ahead of Saudi Arabia’s 9. The campaign opened in Doha with a one-point loss to Lebanon, the 74-75 opener, and ran through both home and away meetings with each of the other three Group D teams. Six games, four wins and two losses.
The high points came on the road. Qatar won the away return fixture against Lebanon 86-83 and the two meetings with India, 99-73 and 65-56. The two losses were both at home in Doha, the 74-75 opener to Lebanon and an 80-86 loss to Saudi Arabia. The Jeddah win restored the exchange with Saudi Arabia and locked the runner-up spot. The Doha leg against the Saudis is preserved on the Doha qualifier’s full boxscore, with the Jeddah win evening the home-and-away exchange.
Head coach Hakan Demir of Turkey worked the rotation across all six games, supported by assistants Cengiz Karadag, Muris Memic, and Abdou Sow. Mohammed Vural oversaw fitness preparation. The third-window squad ran twelve players, with the full roster in the federation’s release.
Qatar’s six games in the first phase ran from the November 2025 opening window to the third window’s close in Jeddah. The campaign leaves Qatar with seeding for the second round and a competitive baseline for the home World Cup.
- Qatar 74-75 Lebanon (Doha)
- Qatar 86-83 Lebanon (Away)
- Qatar 99-73 India
- Qatar 80-86 Saudi Arabia (Doha)
- Qatar 65-56 India
- Qatar 76-73 Saudi Arabia (Jeddah)
The World Cup Qatar Will Host in 2027
The qualifier in Jeddah carried a weight that the standings alone do not capture. Qatar is hosting the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, the men’s national-team tournament FIBA holds every four years. The home tournament runs from 27 August 2027 to 12 September 2027.
It will be the first FIBA World Cup held in the Arab world, and the third straight edition held in Asia after the 2019 event in China and the 2023 event co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. Thirty-two teams will compete, drawn from the four FIBA confederations. The host nation earns an automatic berth, which Qatar secured on 28 April 2023 when FIBA’s Central Board chose Doha in a unanimous vote. Qatar’s bid video proposed the four host venues, and the federation’s hosting programme is the long-term frame around the qualifier result and the rest of the second round. Germany enters the 2027 tournament as the defending champion, having beaten Serbia in the 2023 final.
Qatar’s four proposed venues all sit in the greater Doha area, with FIBA describing the host cities as 30 minutes apart from each other. Three of the four arenas were built for the 2015 World Men’s Handball Championship, and the fourth will be temporarily converted from a football stadium for the 2027 event.
- Lusail Arena (Lusail)
- Al Attiyah Arena (Al Rayyan)
- Duhail Arena (Doha)
- Al Janoub Arena (Al Wakrah)
Who Led Qatar in Jeddah
Alen Hadzibegovic, who scored 21 points in the fourth-quarter comeback, led Qatar on Sunday. The third-window squad ran twelve players: Abdulrahman Saad, Mostafa Fouda, Omar Saad, Zeineddine Badr, Mohammed Hashem, Mostafa Nado, Babacar Dieng, Othman Dieng, Elhadji Bobo Magassa, Alen Hadzibegovic, Donte Grantham, and Mahmoud Darwish. Head coach Hakan Demir of Turkey worked the rotation, supported by assistants Cengiz Karadag, Muris Memic, and Abdou Sow. Mohammed Vural oversaw fitness preparation, with full team detail on Qatar’s tournament roster and stats. The Jeddah win was Qatar’s second consecutive win in the third window, after the 65-56 victory over India in the earlier fixture.
Saadoun Sabah Al Kuwari, Secretary General of the Qatar Basketball Federation and Director of National Teams, led the delegation in Jeddah. Jassim Ibrahim Ashkanani served as Team Manager, with Nabil Jumaa as Assistant Manager. The medical staff included Dr. Adel Harmiyeh, Dr. Adel Saleem, and Nicacio Sagaino.
The Second Round Reshapes the Race
The first phase of the Asian qualifiers is now closed, with the top three from each of the four Asian groups advancing to the second round. India was eliminated on 6 points, the only Group D team not to advance.
The second round splits the qualifiers’ remaining teams into new groups that carry over the points earned in the first phase. The structure sees teams face fresh opponents in a home-and-away round-robin, with each new group formed from teams in different first-round groups. The carry-over points keep first-phase results relevant. The top finishers in each second-round group will book a ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.
Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all carry their first-phase point totals into the second round, with the seeding now set. The Jeddah win leaves Qatar with a runner-up finish and momentum going into that phase. Qatar’s only previous men’s World Cup appearance came in 2006, when the team placed joint-21st.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup be held?
Qatar will host the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The tournament runs from 27 August to 12 September 2027, with games set for venues in Lusail, Doha, Al Rayyan, and Al Wakrah. The four venues are all in the greater Doha area, with FIBA describing them as 30 minutes apart from each other.
When does the 2027 FIBA World Cup run?
The 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup runs from 27 August to 12 September 2027. It will be the first edition of the tournament held in the Arab world and the third straight held in Asia, after the 2019 event in China and the 2023 event co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. Thirty-two teams from the four FIBA confederations will compete, with the host nation earning an automatic berth.
How did Qatar finish in the first phase of the Asian qualifiers?
Qatar finished second in Group D with 10 points, behind Lebanon’s 11 and ahead of Saudi Arabia’s 9, with India eliminated on 6 points. The Jeddah win was the sixth and final game of Qatar’s first phase, with the team ending the window on a 76-73 victory over Saudi Arabia. Lebanon’s 98-72 win over India in the other Group D fixture set the final first-phase standings on the same night.
Who topped Group D in the first phase of the Asian qualifiers?
Lebanon topped Group D with 11 points, one clear of Qatar’s 10 and two ahead of Saudi Arabia’s 9. The first phase saw Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all advance to the second round, with India eliminated on 6 points. The three advancing teams now carry their first-phase point totals into the second-round draw.
What is Qatar’s men’s basketball World Cup history?
Qatar’s only previous men’s World Cup appearance came in 2006, when the team placed joint-21st. The 2027 tournament on home soil will be Qatar’s second World Cup appearance, and the first time the country has hosted the event. Germany enters the 2027 World Cup as the defending champion, having beaten Serbia in the 2023 final. The 2023 tournament, co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, also produced a five-pass sequence before a free throw in a Lebanon-Ivory Coast group game, one of the off-court moments the next edition will inherit.
