Gilas Pilipinas holds No. 36 in FIBA rankings despite tough World Cup Qualifier window

The recent home stand of Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers may not have produced the results the team hoped for, but it did little to shake their position in the global rankings.

Despite back-to-back defeats against two of Oceania’s basketball powerhouses, the Philippines remained at No. 36 in the latest FIBA world rankings released on March 3.

Gilas endured a difficult second window in front of the home crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena, falling just short in a tight battle with New Zealand before suffering a lopsided loss to Australia days later.

The Nationals were first dealt a heartbreaking 69-66 defeat by the Tall Blacks last Thursday, where the Filipinos stayed within striking distance throughout but ultimately could not close the gap in the final moments.

Things became even tougher on Sunday as Australia asserted its depth and firepower, handing Gilas a 93-66 loss to cap the window.

Even with the setbacks, the Philippines maintained its No. 36 ranking — the same position it climbed to in December 2025 following dominant victories against Guam in the previous qualifying window.

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While Gilas Pilipinas may have lost to Team Australia in their match on Sunday, the Southeast Asian powerhouse is still part of the second round of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

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The latest update also saw minimal movement among Asia’s top basketball nations.

Australia remained the highest-ranked team in the region, holding steady at No. 6 in the world, while Japan stayed firm at No. 22.

New Zealand, meanwhile, edged up one spot to No. 24 after its recent performances, while China climbed to No. 26 in the rankings. Iran slipped slightly to No. 28.

Lebanon, despite an emphatic 94-64 win over Saudi Arabia, dropped to No. 33 after its second scheduled game against India was postponed amid tensions in the Middle East.

With the second window now in the books, Gilas Pilipinas will shift its focus to the third window of the qualifiers in July, where the Filipinos are set for another showdown against both Australia and New Zealand.

The upcoming matches could provide the Nationals another opportunity not only to bounce back on the court but also to improve their standing in the world rankings.

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