The FIBA Women's World Cup 2026 wrapped in Berlin while setting a new attendance benchmark for women's basketball. More than 236,000 fans filled the Berlin Arena across 36 games from September 4-13.
FIBA Women's World Cup Attendance Marks New Milestone
That tally eclipsed the previous FIBA Women's World Cup attendance record of 145,519 set by Sydney in 2022. That jump came despite a shorter schedule and an arena capped at roughly 12,650 seats.
Play on the floor gave fans plenty of reason to show up.
Host nation Germany brought the Berlin Arena to its feet with a quarterfinal upset of Belgium, 93-74, punching through to their first-ever World Cup semifinal. France rode Gabby Williams's two-way dominance past China and then Germany to reach the gold-medal game.
USA Basketball Takes Home 5th Straight Title
And USA basketball overcame a 14-point first-half deficit in the final to beat France 97-79 and claim a fifth consecutive title. Breanna Stewart led the comeback, earning her second career MVP award as the team pushed its World Cup winning streak to 36 consecutive games.
Near-capacity crowds filled seats for it all, not just medal rounds. The tournament averaged 6,556 per contest across the 10-day stretch. That kind of sustained turnout is a clear sign of where the global appetite for women's basketball is heading.
