Opals Set for World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Türkiye

Australia begins the road to the World Cup, with the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Qualifying Tournament tipping off in Türkiye from 11-18 March.

The Seven Consulting Opals are one of five teams to have already secured a place at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, after their clean sweep of the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in July 2025, joining Germany, Nigeria, Belgium and the USA as early qualifiers.  

Therefore, the upcoming World Cup Qualifying tournament in Türkiye will serve as an important preparation opportunity for the Opals, while also providing a chance to scout the rest of the field ahead of the World Cup in Germany this September. 

The qualifying tournament consists of six teams, with the Opals set for a five-game stretch from 11-18 March.

The Opals will face Argentina, Canada, Japan, Hungary and host nation Türkiye at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul. 

The Istanbul event is one of four global qualifying tournaments taking place across March, with 24 teams competing for the remaining 11 spots at the FIBA 2026 Women’s Basketball World Cup. 

Once the qualification process is finalised; 16 nations will compete for the gold in September at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup. 

Team 

View Opals squad for Türkiye here. 

Schedule  

Opals vs Argentina | Wed 11 March | 10:30pm AEDT | Match Hub 

Opals vs Japan | Thu 12 March | 10:30pm AEDT | Match Hub 

Opals vs Hungary | Sat 14 March | 10:30pm AEDT | Match Hub 

Opals vs Türkiye | Mon 16 March | 4:30am AEDT | Match Hub 

Opals vs Canada | Wed 18 March | 1:30am AEDT | Match Hub 

Venue:

Turkcell Basketball Development Centre, Istanbul. 

Schedule:

For a full schedule of games click through for Australia’s team portal. 

Broadcast 

ESPN and streaming partner Disney+ 

Major Partners