Italbasket: The Italian Women’s National Team Is Ready for the World Cup; Andrea Capobianco Knows What to Expect

The Italian women’s national basketball team is experiencing a very important moment in Berlin, the host city of the 2026 World Championship. Italy hasn’t participated in the premier women’s tournament since 1994. That was a different era, as evidenced by the fact that the “oldest” (quotes required) player on the Italian roster, Golden State Valkyries star Cecilia Zandalasini, was born two years after that World Championship, in 1996. Their debut is scheduled for Friday, September 4, against the Czech Republic.

Italian head coach Andrea Capobianco has a clear idea of what to expect: “The moment we’ve all been waiting for has arrived—the games,” he told the Italian Basketball Federation’s official channels. “The girls have prepared with the utmost care and deep respect for an extraordinary event like the World Championship. All the Azzurre have been exceptional throughout this journey. Special praise goes to Cecilia Zandalasini for how she’s stepped up and for the total dedication she immediately brought to the team, proving herself a true champion.”

“We’re heading into a competition that will allow us to explore and measure ourselves against different teams and playing styles from every corner of the globe. Starting right from our group stage, we’ll have the opportunity to compete at the highest level against basketball philosophies different from our own. To broaden our horizons, it’s essential to explore new worlds: diversity and constant exchange represent a fundamental opportunity for growth, and this is exactly the spirit with which we’ll take the court every day.”

After their match against the Czech Republic, the Azzurre will face the United States on September 6 and China the following day in Group D. The top teams from each of the four groups advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the second- and third-place teams must go through a crossover playoff—in Italy’s case, against Group C, which features Belgium, Australia, Puerto Rico, and Turkey.

Group A, meanwhile, features host Germany alongside Japan, Spain, and Mali, while Group B consists of Hungary, South Korea, Nigeria, and France. This marks Italy’s sixth qualification overall: its best result came in the 1975 tournament in Colombia, when the Azzurre finished fourth in the final round behind the Soviet Union, Japan, and Czechoslovakia.