32nd - South Sudan
South Sudan is in the Basketball World Cup for the first time. Together with Cape Verde, the Africans are the major underdogs. However, in their preparation, they did put up a good fight against Brazil (75-85).
The star: Wenyen Gabriel
31st - Cape Verde
Small country but with a big leader: Edy Tavares is not only the best centre in the EuroLeague, but the 2.21-metre man was also the reason why Cape Verde qualified for the World Cup. Since the federation of the country with 600,000 inhabitants lacked the money for World Cup preparation, Tavares had his team train for free at his club Real Madrid. This is a team every basketball fan can look forward to.
The star: Edy Tavares
30th - Egypt
Egypt's World Cup record reads disastrously. In six tournament appearances and 33 games so far, the North Africans have only won twice. Assem Marei used to play for Bayreuth and Bamberg in the Bundesliga and is also a leading player for the Egyptians. But he will probably not be enough for them to reach the next round.
The star: Assem Marei
29th - Jordan
In the group with the USA and Greece, Jordan and New Zealand are the underdogs. Ex-NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson recently joined the team as a reinforcement. With Ahmet Duverioglu, the Jordanians also have an experienced EuroLeague centre in their squad.
The star: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
28th - Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast has played in a basketball World Cup 20 times - only one win has come out of it. Additionally, they will be without EuroLeague player Alex Poythress. Nevertheless, the Africans will give everything in an attempt to celebrate the second victory in their World Cup history.
The star: Vafessa Fofana
27th - Angola
The Africans have been consistently qualifying for major tournaments for years - nine times for the World Cup already. This year, the Angolans have minimal chance of advancing in Group A against hosts Philippines, Dominican Republic and Italy.
The star: Jilson Bango
26th - Mexico
Most Mexicans earn their bread and butter in the domestic league. Nevertheless, they claimed multiple victories in the World Cup preparation (e.g. against Argentina). Mexico has an outside chance of reaching the next round.
The star: Pako Cruz
25th - Iran
Iran is one of the outsiders at the World Cup. Nevertheless, it cannot be ruled out that the Iranians could snatch second place behind Spain. However, Brazil should still have a clear advantage. Fun fact: Iran's centre legend Hamed Haddadi has been playing for his country for almost 20 years.
The Star: Mohammad Amini
24th - Lebanon
Lebanon finished second behind Australia at the 2022 Asian Cup. However, the team has been drawn in a tough World Cup group with France, Canada and Latvia. Advancing would be a huge surprise.
The star: Wael Arakji
23rd - Philippines
Host Philippines is as basketball-mad as any other country. However, the national team has not been particularly successful so far. Jordan Clarkson and his teammates want to change that, with monumental fan support behind them. In Group A, only Italy is clearly stronger.
The star: Jordan Clarkson
22nd - New Zealand
The New Zealanders lost to China in the Super Cup, but only in the last second. However, it will be difficult if not impossible for them to top the USA or Greece. But we can all look forward to the Haka war dance before every tip-off.
The star: Yannick Wetzell
21st - China
At the Super Cup in Hamburg, it became clear: The generation after Yao Ming or Yi Jianlian is weakening. Coach Sasa Djordjevic's team lost 58-107 against Germany. The Chinese did manage to beat New Zealand though and can expect to advance in Group B against South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
The star: Zhou Qi
20th - Venezuela
Venezuela, and not Argentina, surprisingly came out on top in the qualifiers. Nevertheless, the South Americans are among the outsiders. In preparation for the World Cup, they lost heavily to France (67:86) and even more emphatically to Australia (41:97).
The star: Garly Sojo
19th - Japan
Japan are the host and will begin against Germany. The basketball boom of recent years has produced top players like Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe. However, Hachimura cancelled his participation in the tournament to prepare for the season with the LA Lakers - a serious issue for Team Japan. Watanabe is also ailing at the moment. Despite the home advantage, the team could easily fail to make it through.
The star: Yuta Watanabe
18th - Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico have faced some heavyweights in their preparation: the USA, Serbia and Lithuania. Even though they lost, the team should not be underestimated. After all, they managed to beat the Dominican Republic 93-86. In Group B, second place behind Serbia is quite possible.
The star: Ethan Thompson
17th - Georgia
The Georgians disappointed at their home European Championship last year. But if you look at the prominent names in the squad, things can only get better. With Goga Bitadze or Sandro Mamukelashvili, they are spoilt for choice, especially in the key positions. In Group F, they should be able to assert themselves behind Slovenia.
The star: Goga Bitadze
16th - Dominican Republic
After a long period of guesswork, it is now clear that NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns will be wearing the Dominican Republic jersey at the World Cup. With the big man, who also likes to shoot from the three-point line, the boys from the Caribbean are an uncomfortable opponent for anyone and could also climb further up our Power Ranking. They surprisingly defeated Germany at the 2019 World Cup. Four years later, the team can be expected to surprise again.
The star: Karl-Anthony Towns
