FIBA WASL Announces New Format for 2026–27 Season as Sagesse and Al Riyadi Represent Lebanon
LBN Newsroom ·
The FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL) will introduce a new competition format for the 2026–27 season, with the tournament set to tip off in December. FIBA Regional Office-Asia announced the changes on Wednesday, October 28, confirming that clubs from the Gulf and West Asia will compete in mixed groups during the opening phase.
The new format will feature 12 clubs from 10 countries, with six teams representing the Gulf Sub-Zone and six representing the West Asia Sub-Zone.
Sagesse and Al Riyadi will represent Lebanon, having reached the Final 8 of the previous WASL edition as finalists.
New Group Phase Format
The 12 participating clubs will be divided into two groups of six, with each group featuring three teams from the Gulf and three from West Asia.
Every team will play 10 games in the Group Phase, facing each of its group opponents home and away. Each club will therefore play five games at home and five on the road.
The Gulf Sub-Zone representatives will be the champions of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
On the West Asia side, the field will include the champions of Jordan and Iraq, alongside the champions and runners-up from Lebanon and Syria.
Sub-Zone Semi-Finals and Finals
Following the Group Phase, teams will be ranked within their respective sub-zones according to their results, regardless of the group in which they competed.
The top four teams from each sub-zone will qualify for the Sub-Zone Semi-Finals, with first place facing fourth place and second place meeting third place.
The winners will advance to the Sub-Zone Finals to determine the champions of the Gulf and West Asia, while the losing semi-finalists will compete for third place.
Eight Teams to Qualify for the Final 8
Under the revised system, the top three teams from each sub-zone will secure qualification for the WASL Final 8. They will be joined by the champions of India and Iran to complete the eight-team lineup.
For Sagesse and Al Riyadi, the new format presents a different route toward the Final 8, with both Lebanese clubs aiming to progress through the Group Phase and the West Asia qualification rounds.
FIBA stated that details regarding the official Group Phase draw will be announced soon, with the 2026–27 campaign scheduled to begin in December.