FIBA 3×3 continues to expand its territorial footprint through two announcements that point in the same direction. New Caledonia will host the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League 2026 in Oceania, while Madagascar will once again stage the FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup in 2026 and 2027. Beyond the calendar itself, both decisions reinforce the same idea: 3×3 continues to gain weight through regional hosts that no longer simply organise tournaments, but act as platforms for development and competitive projection.

In both cases, the value of the news goes beyond the host country. In Oceania, the Youth Nations League is the main route into the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup 2026 for most national teams, while in Africa the continued presence of the Africa Cup in Antananarivo strengthens a host city that has already shown organisational capacity and a strong connection with the public. They are different moves, but both fit into a broader FIBA strategy to reinforce the structural growth of 3×3 beyond the traditional centres of basketball.

Two hosts expanding the access pathways

The event in New Caledonia will carry particular importance within the youth 3×3 ecosystem. It will be only the second time that Oceania has staged this regional event, following the 2025 edition held during the Pacific Mini Games, and it will bring together emerging talent from New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and the Solomon Islands. For these national teams, the tournament is not only a regional competition but also a direct opportunity to enter the race for the U23 World Cup, at a time when several Pacific federations are also preparing for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The significance of the tournament also goes beyond World Cup qualification. FIBA has indicated that the highest-ranked federations at the U23 World Cup will receive preferential access to the men’s FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit and the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in 2027, which means the competition in New Caledonia also becomes a link between youth development and professional opportunity. Amanda Jenkins, executive director of FIBA Oceania, summed up that logic by describing 3×3 as “one of the most powerful accelerators” for emerging basketball nations.

Two different models within the same expansion

In the case of Madagascar, the reading is different, but equally revealing. The FIBA 3×3 Africa Cup will return to the country in 2026 and 2027, which will mean four consecutive editions there. The 2026 tournament already has official dates: it will be held from December 3 to 6 in Antananarivo, once again at the Palace of Culture and Sports, a venue that has accompanied the tournament’s recent growth and has become a recognisable setting within the African 3×3 calendar.

That organisational continuity also comes with a very favourable sporting context for the host nation. Madagascar won both the men’s and women’s Africa Cup titles in 2024 and 2025, which means it will enter the next editions with the chance to extend that home dominance. Alex Sanchez, managing director of FIBA 3×3, highlighted the country’s track record in delivering memorable experiences both on the court and around the event, while Julien Farran, executive director of FIBA Africa, underlined Madagascar’s sustained commitment to the development of 3×3 at national level.

3×3 gains continuity, visibility and structure beyond the traditional centres

Together, both decisions help clarify the direction 3×3 is taking within FIBA’s international structure. In Oceania, the focus is on creating competitive pathways for emerging federations and on developing young talent with an outlet towards world championships and professional circuits. In Africa, the emphasis is on consolidating a stable host capable of sustaining a continental tournament with its own identity and with an increasingly recognisable setting for teams, federations and fans.

So while New Caledonia prepares for a decisive event on the road to the U23 World Cup 2026, Antananarivo already has two more editions of the Africa Cup secured. In both cases, 3×3 continues to widen its territorial footprint through formulas adapted to each region: one as a gateway to future competitive growth, the other as an example of institutional continuity in the present.