FIBA World Rankings: Spain Tops U.S. for the First Time Ever

The No. 1 ranking went unchanged for 12 straight years.

USA Basketball is known as the best in the world, but after 12 years at the top, the team has dropped in the rankings.

The new FIBA rankings were released on Friday, and for the first time since 2010, USA was not No. 1 in the world. Spain officially took over the top spot from the USA, breaking a 12-year unchanged streak for No. 1.

In 2017, FIBA announced a change in the way it would create its rankings, weighing international games played dating back to the previous six years.

Therefore, the USA’s win at the 2014 World Cup isn’t included in the process, while Spain’s victory at the 2019 World Cup played a major role in the change. In fact, USA finished all the way down in seventh place during the last World Cup, making the team vulnerable to dropping.

🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚:

Spain seize the #1 spot for the first time in FIBA Men’s World Ranking history! 👑 🇪🇸

📊 See the full rankings here, presented by @Nike:https://t.co/iPTz2JGlZ8 pic.twitter.com/yea77qbAgV

— FIBA (@FIBA) November 18, 2022

Additionally, Spain’s victory in the EuroBasket tournament allowed them to gain more ground while the USA stayed idle.

Currently, former Bulls coach Jim Boylen is coaching a variety of G Leaguers during World Cup qualifying for the 2023 tournament, with the team sitting at 5–1 through six qualifying games.