Argentina, the fourth-ranked basketball team in the world, failed to qualify for the FIBA World Cup after losing to Venezuela 74-68 in a crucial match on Sunday. The loss means that Argentina will miss the World Cup for the first time since 1978, ending a streak of 11 consecutive appearances. Argentina had already lost to Puerto Rico and Uruguay earlier in the qualifying rounds, but had managed to stay in contention with a series of wins over Panama, Paraguay and Mexico. However, the loss to Venezuela sealed their fate and left them in fifth place in their group, behind Venezuela, Canada, Brazil and Puerto Rico.
The FIBA World Cup, which will be held in China in August and September, is the most prestigious international basketball tournament outside of the Olympics. It features teams from around the world, including the United States, which has won the tournament five times in its history. Argentina won the tournament in 1950, and has finished in the top four in five of the last six tournaments.
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