Draw confirmed for FIBA U18 AmeriCup as seven-time defending champions USA land in Group B

The official draw for the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2026 was held on Monday in Miami, setting the groups for the eight-team men's tournament to be played June 1-7 at the Domo de la Feria in Leon, Mexico. The groups are as follows:

Group A: Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Canada, Puerto Rico
Group B: Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, United States

The United States enter the competition as overwhelming favorites, carrying a streak of seven consecutive U18 AmeriCup titles. They headline a loaded Group B alongside host nation Mexico, South American powers Argentina and Brazil. Group A features a quartet of Caribbean and South American sides in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The tournament will be played under a new youth competition format approved by the FIBA Americas Board during its 2025 Mid-Term Congress. Each team plays every opponent in their group once. Group winners advance directly to the semifinals, while second-placed teams cross over to face third-placed teams from the opposite group. The top four finishers at the tournament earn qualification for the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2027. Teams were paired based on their positions in the FIBA Youth Ranking before being drawn at random into groups.