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What Is the FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
This basketball preview and betting guide covers the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, the annual tournament that crowns the world club champion. Here we look ahead to the 2027 tournament.
The tournament features six clubs, made up mainly of continental champions plus a representative from the NBA G League, who compete for the world club title.
The competition began with an unofficial test game in 1965 and held its first official tournament in 1966. After a long break, it returned in 2013, then received an overhaul in 2023, moving to September and expanding to six teams.
The 2026 edition, the 36th, was held in Beijing, with NBA G League United winning their first title. Beijing is set to host the event through 2028.
Below, we preview the upcoming tournament, look back at past champions and show how favourites have fared historically to help inform your betting on the Intercontinental Cup.
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FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2027 Preview
Who Won the 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
NBA G League United are the reigning champions, having beaten Lithuania's Rytas Vilnius 89-86 in the 2026 final at the National Indoor Stadium in Beijing on 27 September. It was their first title after losing the 2024 and 2025 finals to Spanish side Unicaja, and they became the first US team to win the competition since Maryland in 1974. Eric Dixon was named MVP, and Boca Juniors finished third.
Here is how the six teams finished at the 2026 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Beijing:
| Position | Team | Country | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | NBA G League United | USA | 4–0 |
| 2nd | Rytas Vilnius | Lithuania | 3–1 |
| 3rd | Boca Juniors | Argentina | 2–2 |
| 4th | RSSB Tigers | Rwanda | 1–3 |
| 5th | Beijing Royal Fighters | China | 1–2 |
| 6th | Shanghai Sharks | China | 0–3 |
When Is the 2027 FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
FIBA has confirmed Beijing as host for 2026, 2027 and 2028, so the 2027 FIBA Intercontinental Cup is expected to be played there. Dates and the line-up have not yet been announced. The 2026 edition ran from 22 to 27 September, and we will update this page once the 2027 schedule is confirmed.
Places are decided through the 2026-27 continental competitions, including the Basketball Champions League and the Basketball Champions League Americas.
Who Are the Favourites for the 2027 FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
With the 2027 field still to be decided, there are no confirmed favourites yet. Historically, a European club has reached every final since the competition returned in 2013, while the NBA G League representative has now reached the final in each of the last three editions, winning in 2026.
Who Will Win the FIBA Intercontinental Cup? Tips and Predictions
Head over to the OLBG Basketball Tips to see who our tipsters are backing to win, not only the outright winner but also matches throughout the tournament.
Additionally, if you only want to view the tips from the top tipsters, those who have shown a profit on basketball over the past year, then head over to the Best Basketball Tipsters page.
FIBA Intercontinental Cup Format Explained
The six teams are split into two groups of three, and each team plays the other two in its group. The top two in each group advance to the semi-finals, with group winners facing the other group's runners-up. The semi-final winners contest the final, and the losers meet in the third-place game.
The two third-placed teams go into a fifth-place game. The final and the place-deciding games are all one-off matches.
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How Often Do Favourites Win the FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
Here is how favourites have performed across the last five tournaments. The six-team format, introduced in September 2023, brought nine games per tournament, rising to 11 in 2026 with the addition of semi-finals.
Over these five tournaments, favourites have won 80.95% of games (34 from 42). In the last three (2024 to 2026), they have won 24 of 29 (82.76%), so backing underdogs has been harder going.
| Year | Games | Favourites Won | Win Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2023 | 4 | 4 | 100.00% |
| Sept 2023 | 9 | 6 | 66.67% |
| 2024 | 9 | 8 | 88.89% |
| 2025 | 9 | 6 | 66.67% |
| 2026 | 11 | 10 | 90.91% |
| Total | 42 | 34 | 80.95% |
How Many Points Are Scored at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup?
Total points is a popular basketball betting market, so here is how scoring has looked across the last five tournaments. The table shows the average points scored by the home and away teams in each game, as listed in the official fixtures, along with the average combined total.
Scoring peaked in 2026, with 182.0 points per game, up 18.1 from 2025 and 33.2 higher than the 2024 low of 148.8. Across all 42 games, the average combined total is 164.5 points, with the home team averaging 83.3 and the away team 81.2.
| Year | Games | Avg Home Points | Avg Away Points | Avg Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2023 | 4 | 89.3 | 76.5 | 165.8 |
| Sept 2023 | 9 | 81.0 | 77.7 | 158.7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 74.1 | 74.7 | 148.8 |
| 2025 | 9 | 80.2 | 83.7 | 163.9 |
| 2026 | 11 | 92.9 | 89.1 | 182.0 |
| Total | 42 | 83.3 | 81.2 | 164.5 |
FIBA Intercontinental Cup Winners: Past Champions and Finals
Seven clubs have won the FIBA Intercontinental Cup more than once. Real Madrid lead the way with five titles, although their last came in 2015. Canarias (Tenerife) have won three times, all since 2017, so more recently than Madrid.
Akron Wingfoots (1967, 1968 and 1969) and Varese (1966, 1970 and 1973) also have three wins apiece, but those came decades ago. The other multiple winners are Cantù (1975 and 1982), Flamengo (2014 and 2022) and Unicaja (2024 and 2025).
The latest name on the trophy is NBA G League United, who beat Rytas Vilnius 89-86 in the 2026 final in Beijing to win the competition for the first time.
| Season | Champions | Score | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | NBA G League United | 89–86 | Rytas Vilnius |
| 2025 | Unicaja | 71–61 | NBA G League United |
| 2024 | Unicaja | 75–60 | NBA G League United |
| Sept 2023 | SESI Franca | 70–69 | Baskets Bonn |
| Feb 2023 | Canarias (Tenerife) | 89–68 | São Paulo |
| 2022 | Flamengo | 75–62 | San Pablo Burgos |
| 2021 | San Pablo Burgos | 82–73 | Quimsa |
| 2020 | Canarias (Tenerife) | 80–72 | Virtus Bologna |
| 2019 | AEK | 86–70 | Flamengo |
| 2017 | Canarias (Tenerife) | 76–71 | Guaros de Lara |
| 2016 | Guaros de Lara | 74–69 | Skyliners Frankfurt |
FIBA Intercontinental Cup Winners by Country
Spanish clubs are the most successful in the tournament's history, with 12 wins. That is no surprise given that Real Madrid have won it five times and Canarias (Tenerife) three, with the other four coming from Unicaja (2), FC Barcelona (1) and San Pablo Burgos (1).
Italian clubs are second, five wins behind Spain, with seven titles: Varese (3), Cantù (2), Virtus Roma (1) and Olimpia Milano (1).
The United States moved up to third in 2026, when NBA G League United won the competition for the first time. That took the USA to five wins, one ahead of Brazil, who remain top of the runners-up column with 10.
| Rank | Country | Winners | Runners-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Spain | 12 | 4 |
| 2nd | Italy | 7 | 6 |
| 3rd | USA | 5 | 2 |
| 4th | Brazil | 4 | 10 |
| 5th | Greece | 3 | 0 |
Figures exclude the 1965 test game and the 1972 tournament for national teams.
Meet the Author
Andy Powell manages this FIBA Intercontinental Cup preview and other basketball content on OLBG, as well as the Basketball Tipsters in the OLBG tipster competition, as part of the OLBG Expert Team. Andy updates the data and results for these pieces. You can find basketball betting advice in our bookmaker reviews and in our Best Basketball Betting Sites guide.
Written and updated by
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