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PREVIEW: Canada Faces Host Türkiye to Open World Cup Qualifying Tournament
ISTANBUL (Mar. 10, 2026) – Canada opens play at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday against host Türkiye, beginning the final step on the road to Berlin.
Canada enters the tournament ranked No. 7 in the latest FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike and is seeking its sixth consecutive appearance at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
What You Need to Know
What: FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament
Who: Canada vs. Türkiye
When: March 11 (1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT)
Where: Istanbul, Türkiye
Watch: All of Canada’s games will be broadcast live on TSN.
Tournament Overview
Six teams will compete in the Türkiye Qualifier, including Canada, host Türkiye, Hungary, Argentina, Japan and Australia. With Australia already qualified for the 2026 World Cup as the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup champion, the remaining three World Cup berths will be awarded to the highest-finishing teams following round-robin play.
The tournament represents the final step on the road to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, set to take place this September in Berlin, Germany.
Canada has appeared in each of the last five Women’s World Cup tournaments, highlighted by a semifinal finish in 2022.
A Veteran Core
Canada brings an experienced roster to Istanbul, featuring eight Olympians including three-time Olympian Kia Nurse and 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup All-Star Bridget Carleton.
Veteran centre Kayla Alexander headlines the roster following a record-setting summer that saw her reach the 50-game milestone with the Senior Women’s National Team while also becoming Canada’s all-time leading rebounder across all competitions.
Carleton has previously delivered standout performances in World Cup qualifying play, scoring 40 points across two games in the last qualifying tournament, including a 28-point, six-rebound performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Host Nation Challenge
Tuesday’s opener presents an early test against host Türkiye, who will be looking to qualify for their third Women’s World Cup appearance after competing in 2014 and 2018.
Playing on home soil for the first time in a World Cup qualifying tournament, Türkiye will look to use the energy of the home crowd in Istanbul as they begin their push toward Berlin.
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