The FIBA World Ranking is calculated by combining several factors, not just win/loss counts.
Weight of the game
The points you can earn depend on the importance of the competition, such as World Cup Qualifiers or the Olympics.
Strength of the opponent
Beating a higher-ranked team earns more points.
Away wins and wins by a large margin
Winning on the road or winning by a large margin adds bonus points.
Recent results count more
Only results from the past four years count, and older results carry less weight (games older than four years don't count at all).
In the FIBA ranking, both teams gain points whether they win or lose (a distinctive feature is that even the loser gains points). The points earned per game are determined by the following formulas.
Winner's points earned = B × R × S × W × O × A × M
Loser's points earned = B × R × S
| Symbol | Name | Value / how it's determined |
|---|---|---|
| B | Base Factor | 10 (fixed) |
| R | Region Factor | Applies only to games within the same region (Africa / Americas / Asia-Oceania / Europe). Games between different regions (World Cup, Olympics, etc.) are always 1 |
| S | Competition Stage Factor | Varies by competition type and stage (qualifier, final, etc.). See the table below |
| W | Winning Factor | 1.25 (fixed, winner only) |
| O | Opponent Rating Factor | 1 + 0.0001 × (loser's points before the game). Beating a stronger opponent earns more points |
| A | Away Factor | 1.1 for an away win, 1 for a home win |
| M | Margin of Victory Factor | 1.2 for a margin of 30+ points, 1.05 for 15–29, 1 otherwise |
| FIBA Africa | 0.69 |
| FIBA Americas | 0.93 |
| FIBA Asia-Oceania | 0.68 |
| FIBA Europe | 1.0 |
| Between different regions (World Cup, Olympics, etc.) | 1.0 |
| Competition | Stage | S |
|---|---|---|
| World Cup Qualifiers | Pre-qualifying round | 0.4 |
| First round | 1.0 | |
| Second round | 1.2 | |
| World Cup Finals | Group stage | 2.0 |
| Round of 16 | 4.0 | |
| Quarterfinal | 5.0 | |
| Third-place game | 6.0 | |
| Semifinal | 7.0 | |
| Final | 8.0 | |
| Olympics | Group stage | 1.75 |
| Round of 16 | 3.5 | |
| Quarterfinal | 4.375 | |
| Third-place game | 5.25 | |
| Semifinal | 6.125 | |
| Final | 7.0 | |
| Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) | All rounds | 0.3 |
| Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament (OPQT) | All rounds | 0.15 |
Example: In the second round of World Cup Qualifiers (within the Asia-Oceania region), the home team wins by a 20-point margin. Assume the loser had 500 points before the game.
Winner's points earned = 8.16 × 1.25 × 1.05 × 1 × 1.05 ≈ 11.25
Loser's points earned = 8.16
Rather than gradually fading out game results, FIBA applies a "discount" three times during each four-year competition cycle (just before each continental championship, the Olympics, and the World Cup), reducing every team's accumulated points uniformly to 66%. This gradually shrinks the influence of older games so recent results carry more weight. The discount itself doesn't change any team's rank, since every team is reduced by the same factor.
This site uses FIBA's official ranking points as of September 15, 2025 as the starting point (seed value), and recalculates games played since then using this formula.