Iran eyes another win against Syria in FIBA World Cup qualifier
Iran’s national basketball team will face Syria today in a rescheduled 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier, aiming to strengthen its path toward the next round and extend its dominant record against its regional rival.
The Group C encounter, originally scheduled for March 1 in Beirut, was postponed by four months after FIBA suspended several fixtures due to regional security concerns. The game will now be played just days before the start of the third qualification window, which begins on Thursday and features 16 Asian teams divided into four groups.
Iran enters the delayed fixture with two wins and one defeat from its opening three qualifying matches. The national team opened its campaign with back-to-back victories over Iraq, winning 94-68 and 86-71 in the first window, before suffering a 73-60 loss to Jordan in its opening game of the second window in February.
Those results leave Iran second in Group C with five points, one behind unbeaten Jordan, which is on a perfect three-win run. Jordan will also play its postponed second-window game against Iraq today.
Although a victory over Syria may not immediately lift Iran to the top of the table, it would significantly strengthen the team’s position in the race for qualification to next year’s global showpiece in Qatar and provide valuable momentum ahead of the third window.
History also favors the Iranian side. Ranked 28th in the latest FIBA world rankings, Iran sits well ahead of Syria, which is ranked 74th. Iran has won eight of the previous nine meetings between the two teams, including a commanding 82-43 victory in their most recent encounter during the group stage of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.
Syria, meanwhile, has struggled for consistency in recent international competition. The team has managed just one victory in its last five matches, which came against Iraq during the second qualifying window. Its other four games ended in defeats to Guam, Jordan twice, and Iran.
The Syrians will look to challenge Iran with the help of naturalized American guard Donte McGill, who chipped in 34 points in his team’s victory over Iraq. Nevertheless, Iran will enter the contest as the clear favorite, seeking another convincing result against a familiar opponent and an important step toward World Cup qualification.
Iran will take on Jordan in a crunch fixture on July 2, before concluding the first-round group phase against Syria in Amman three days later.
The top three in each of the four groups will progress to the second round of the qualifiers.