Gilas Pilipinas moved up one spot to No. 36 in the men’s FIBA World Rankings, presented by Nike, after sweeping newcomer Guam in back-to-back games during the first window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, the Dec. 4 release showed.
The Filipino squad dominated the boards, hauling down 61 rebounds in their 87-46 victory on Nov. 28 at Calvo Fieldhouse in Yigo Village, breaking the previous Asian Qualifiers record of 59 held jointly by Lebanon and Iran. Their mark also ranks second all-time in World Cup Qualifiers history, trailing only DR Congo and Angola.
The climb to 36th puts the Philippines ahead of Estonia (37th) and Jordan (38th), with 348.8 points. Fiba calculates rankings using a game-based system that weighs results, opponent strength, and competition level. Gilas will have another opportunity to rise in February 2026 during the next Qualifiers window.
Team USA retained No. 1 after sweeping Nicaragua in the Americas Qualifiers, while reigning World Cup 2023 and EuroBasket 2025 champion Germany remained second after wins over Israel and Cyprus. Canada is closing in on fourth-ranked France, and Türkiye moved to 11th following back-to-back wins, overtaking Latvia.
Other notable movers included Jamaica (up eight to No. 87) after stunning Puerto Rico, and host nation Qatar, climbing five places to No. 78 after a historic win over Lebanon. In Africa, Guinea went unbeaten at 3-0, rising two spots, while Rwanda jumped nine to No. 81 and Libya moved up five to 91.
Four new teams entered the rankings after the Fiba Melanesian Cup 2025, led by Papua New Guinea at No. 157. Fiji climbed five places to 147 after reaching the final.
With record-setting performances and an undefeated start to the Asian Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas is poised to push higher in the Fiba rankings in the coming windows. WITH FIBA PR