THE 2023 FIBA World Cup has come and gone over the past couple of weeks, with a few surprise results to finish the tournament.

Some of the biggest teams in the world found themselves further down the final rankings than many expected, as none of the top five ranked sides coming into the tournament made the gold medal match in surprising fashion.

Instead, it was Germany that sat atop the standings come tournament’s end, defeating Serbia in the final to claim its first ever gold medal and cap off a terrific tournament. The Germans were the only unbeaten side in the World Cup with eight wins coming from eight games, justifying their place at the head of the table.

Serbia sat second in the standings after making it to the gold medal match with a record of six wins and two losses, despite missing Nikola Jokic for the entire tournament. It was a reflection of how well European basketball matches up to FIBA basketball.

There were a number of underperforming teams at the World Cup as well, and it all began with France’s first round elimination. Once a powerhouse of international basketball, the French national team could not put a win on the board in the first round of the fixture, surprisingly eliminated in the opening days. With the 2024 Paris Olympics just around the corner, France will be looking to turn things around as hosts next year.

Australia was another side that failed to live up to expectations after coming into the tournament, ranked third in the world, but unable to book a spot in the quarterfinals. The Boomers could not match some of the best sides in the tournament, and were knocked out courtesy of a loss to Slovenia.

Despite being overwhelming favourites to make the gold medal game, both Team USA and Canada did not make the final match, instead being eliminated in their respective semifinal matchups. The rumours have begun swirling that the United States will be stacking their roster ahead of the Olympic Games, while the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and RJ Barrett are only going to get better, so expect these teams to go deeper into proceedings in 12 months’ time.

Check out the final standings below.

1. Germany – 8-0
2. Serbia – 6-2
3. Canada – 6-2
4. USA – 5-3
5. Latvia – 6-2
6. Lithuania – 6-2
7. Slovenia – 5-3
8. Italy – 4-4
9. Spain – 3-2
10. Australia – 3-2
11. Montenegro – 3-2
12. Puerto Rico – 3-2
13. Brazil – 3-2
14. Dominican Republic – 3-2
15. Greece – 2-3
16. Georgia – 2-3
17. South Sudan – 3-2
18. France – 3-2
19. Japan – 3-2
20. Egypt – 2-3
21. Finland – 2-3
22. New Zealand – 2-3
23. Lebanon – 2-3
24. Philippines – 1-4
25. Mexico – 2-3
26. Angola – 1-4
27. Cote d’Ivoire – 1-4
28. Cape Verde – 1-4
29. China – 1-4
30. Venezuela – 0-5
31. Iran – 0-5
32. Jordan 0-5