The Basketball World Cup — FIBA’s biggest Tournament — started Friday, spread out across three countries for the first two rounds before all the biggest games get played in Manila to decide which nation will go home with gold medals and the Naismith Trophy on Sept. 10.

Spain is the defending champion, having won in China four years ago. The U.S. was only seventh in that tournament, its worst finish ever in a major international event. But the Americans have high hopes, and enter as the tournament favorites.

According to FIBA, the U.S. has the youngest team at the World Cup with an average age of 24.6. The oldest teams are Venezuela (32.3) and Cape Verde (32.2).

The oldest player on the final rosters? Brazil guard Marcelinho Huertas, who turned 40 on May 25. The youngest player is Khaman Maluach of South Sudan. He’s only 16, one of six teenagers in the field. The other teens are a trio of 19-year-olds — Eduardo Francisco of Angola, Miro Little of Finland and Juan Nunez of Spain — along with 18-year-olds Karim Elgizawy of Egypt and Mohammad Amini of Iran.

An NBA-record 55 players will be part of this year’s World Cup. That only counts players currently under contract; it’s possible that by the time training camps start in a few weeks the number could rise.

The record was 54, set in China four years ago. Add in former NBA players or NBA draftees, and the number rises to 106 for this tournament — another record, three more than the 2019 event.

Four NBA teams are tied for the most players by an American team at this World Cup: Orlando, Utah, Oklahoma City and Minnesota, each with five players apiece.

The prizes for this World Cup don’t simply start and end at the final podium, though gold medals for the winners, possession of the Naismith Trophy and the chance to spend the next four years as the reigning World Cup champions are no small purse. The tournaments within the tournament come with another very big prize.

Out of this World Cup, seven teams will directly qualify for the Paris Olympics based on their finish. It’ll be the top two teams from the Americas Region, the top two from Europe, and one each from Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Spain, Argentina, France, Australia, the U.S., Nigeria and Iran were the seven nations that used World Cup finishes to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

France has already qualified for the Olympics as the host nation. The seven teams that make it out of World Cup will be joined by four other nations — to be determined in July 2024 — as part of the 12-team field for Paris 2024.

Opening weekend began with eight games Friday — headlined by Canada’s 30 point dismantling of France — and eight more Saturday, including the U.S. debut in the tournament against New Zealand.

The Saturday slate also includes games featuring defending champion Spain, Slovenia, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico and Brazil.

The first three U.S. games (Aug. 26, Aug. 28, Aug. 30) will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Aug. 26 and Aug. 28 games will begin at 8:40 a.m. EDT; the Aug. 30 game begins at 4:40 a.m. EDT.

There are streaming options for the other games, including FIBA’s Courtside1891 streaming service — though viewers in the U.S. will be unable to watch the U.S. team’s games on the service.

The United States team is the overwhelming favorite to win the World Cup, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, with the Americans’ odds listed at minus-130 (meaning a $130 wager on the Americans would net $100, if they won). Australia and Canada are tied as the second choice, both at plus-750 (a $100 wager would net $750), followed by France at plus-1,000.

Want some betting value? Try Slovenia. Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic’s team has odds of plus-3,000.