France and Germany Meet for History: One Will Reach Its First Women’s World Cup Final
France brings the tournament’s most explosive shooting into Saturday’s semifinal, while host Germany has turned an opening-night disaster into the greatest World Cup run in program history. One of them will play for gold for the first time.
There will be a first-time finalist at the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
France and host Germany meet Saturday at Berlin Arena with a place in Sunday’s championship game at stake. Tip-off is scheduled for 16:30 local time, and whichever team survives will reach the Women’s World Cup final for the first time.
For France, the opportunity has been 73 years in the making. Les Bleues had not reached the World Cup semifinals since the inaugural tournament in 1953 before dismantling China 90-61 in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
For Germany, there is no precedent at all. The hosts had never previously reached even a World Cup quarterfinal. Their 93-74 upset of reigning European champion Belgium pushed them into entirely new territory.
The result is perhaps the most compelling matchup of Saturday’s semifinals: a French team playing spectacular offensive basketball against a German side riding home-court energy and one of the tournament’s most dramatic turnarounds.
Women’s World Cup Champions & Runners-Up
France and Germany are chasing a place in the 2026 final. Here is the complete list of champions and runners-up from every previous edition of the Women’s World Cup.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | USA | China |
| 2018 | USA | Australia |
| 2014 | USA | Spain |
| 2010 | USA | Czechia |
| 2006 | Australia | Russia |
| 2002 | USA | Russia |
| 1998 | USA | Russia |
| 1994 | Brazil | China |
| 1990 | USA | Yugoslavia |
| 1986 | USA | Soviet Union |
| 1983 | Soviet Union | USA |
| 1979 | USA | South Korea |
| 1975 | Soviet Union | Japan |
| 1971 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1967 | Soviet Union | South Korea |
| 1964 | Soviet Union | Czechoslovakia |
| 1959 | Soviet Union | Bulgaria |
| 1957 | USA | Soviet Union |
| 1953 | USA | Chile |