Jordan refuses to play Israel in FIBA Basketball World Cup: What to know

Jordan’s under-19 national basketball team withdrew from its game against Israel at the ongoing FIBA World Cup after pressure mounted on the team to boycott the game.

What happened: In an official statement, Jordan’s Basketball Federation said that it had requested that the International Basketball Federation cancel the scheduled match between Jordan and Israel at the FIBA World Cup.

The federation did not outline the specifics of its request, but Jordan’s official news agency Petra said that the federation’s decision “aligns with its principles and steadfast positions in such circumstances.”

On Instagram, many users commented on the federation’s post, celebrating the decision, after weeks of public calls for Jordan to boycott the match after it was drawn in a group with Israel, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic.

Speaking to Al-Mamlaka TV, federation president Mohammad Al-Hanandeh said the decision aimed to protect players from potential harassment. He added that the move followed a unanimous vote by the federation’s board of directors to cancel the game.

Israeli Basketball Association chairman Amos Frishman told Israeli outlet Ynet on Sunday, “We had hoped the game would take place, especially given the peace between the two countries. But I can also, to some extent, understand the Jordanians —they were under immense pressure.”

“Still, I hoped the match would be held. That’s the difference between sports and everything else — it’s supposed to bridge between nations. Our team and the Jordanians sit at tables next to each other in the dining hall, but there are things that are bigger than us,” Frishman added.

The announcement came just hours before the game was set to take place on Sunday in Lausanne, Switzerland. Because of Jordan’s withdrawal, the game automatically went to Israel, 20-0.

Background: Jordan, making its second appearance in the tournament after debuting in 1995, lost 79–69 to the Dominican Republic on Saturday.

Israel, meanwhile, opened its first-ever U-19 World Cup tournament with a 102–77 win over host nation Switzerland on Saturday. Tensions around Israel’s participation in the tournament had already surfaced in its Saturday game when a protester reportedly ran onto the court waving a Palestinian flag.

Following a nearly two-year military campaign in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, Israeli participation in international events has come under scrutiny. At the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, for example, protests erupted over Israel’s inclusion, with several artists calling for a boycott and demonstrations outside the venue.

Know more: In Spain, thousands protested Israeli basketball team Maccabi Tel Aviv’s EuroLeague basketball match in January. Similar protests occurred in Barcelona in February during a separate game involving the Israeli team.