International 3×3 basketball tournament inside a shopping-mall food court in El Salvador. AI-generated image for Our Life in El Salvador.
El Salvador is preparing to welcome the largest field in the history of the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup when the continental basketball tournament comes to Plaza Merliot later this year.
A record 45 national teams—24 men’s and 21 women’s—are registered for the competition, which will take place from October 28 through November 1, 2026. The number represents a major increase in participation and reflects the continued growth of 3×3 basketball across the Americas.
The tournament will bring Olympic athletes, World Cup medalists, and some of the best 3×3 basketball players in the region to El Salvador.
It will also give the Salvadoran men’s and women’s national teams an opportunity to compete at home before their families and local supporters.
Five days of international basketball
Competition will begin with qualifying rounds on Wednesday, October 28, and Thursday, October 29. These games will determine which teams advance to the main draw.
The main competition will run from Friday, October 30, through Sunday, November 1, when the men’s and women’s champions will be crowned.
As the host country, El Salvador has already secured places for both national teams in the main draw.
The games will be held at Plaza Merliot, which has hosted several basketball and 3×3 events in recent years. Using a busy commercial center as the venue should make the tournament accessible to families and people who may not normally attend an international sporting competition.
Admission will be free throughout the tournament. Matches will also be available through the Aloud Sports platform for those unable to attend in person.
Teams from across the Americas
The men’s competition will include 24 national teams:
United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Uruguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, Colombia, Guatemala, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, Honduras, Barbados, and Suriname.
The women’s tournament will feature 21 teams:
Canada, United States, Chile, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Venezuela, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Paraguay, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize, Saint Lucia, Honduras, and El Salvador.
The United States has been the dominant country in the competition’s short history. Its men’s team has won four AmeriCup titles, while Puerto Rico has won one. In the women’s division, the United States has won three championships, and Canada has claimed two.
That level of competition will make the tournament a serious challenge for the Salvadoran teams. At the same time, playing against stronger and more experienced opponents is one of the best ways for local athletes to improve.
What makes 3×3 basketball different?
For readers unfamiliar with the sport, 3×3 basketball is not simply a shortened version of the traditional five-player game.
Each team has three players on the court and one substitute. Games are played on a half-court with one basket, and the pace is much faster than conventional basketball.
A game lasts 10 minutes, unless one team reaches 21 points before time expires. Shots made from inside the arc count for one point, while shots from beyond it count for two.
The shorter shot clock and almost continuous play create a fast, physical game in which decisions must be made quickly. The format is particularly well-suited to public spaces because it requires less space and allows spectators to remain close to the action.
The sport made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games and has continued to grow internationally.
More than a sporting event
The arrival of 45 national teams will have an impact beyond the basketball court.
Athletes, coaches, officials, relatives, and supporters will require hotels, restaurants, transportation, and other services during their stay. Some visitors will likely use the opportunity to explore beaches, volcanoes, historic communities, and other destinations around the country.
Lya Salazar, events coordinator for the Salvadoran Tourism Corporation, said international competitions help position El Salvador as a destination capable of hosting major events while contributing to the country’s tourism goals.
This is an increasingly important part of El Salvador’s international promotion. Sporting events bring people into the country for a specific reason, but their impressions are also shaped by what they experience away from the competition.
For many athletes and visitors, the AmeriCup may be their first opportunity to see El Salvador for themselves.
A special opportunity for Salvadoran athletes
Competing in front of a home crowd adds another dimension for the Salvadoran national teams.
Women’s national team member Elisa Domínguez described the emotion of hearing the national anthem while surrounded by family members and Salvadoran supporters. That home support can provide encouragement that athletes do not receive when competing abroad.
Luis Escoto, a member of the men’s 3×3 team who represented El Salvador at the 2016 World Cup in Nantes, France, said the tournament offers the players an opportunity to demonstrate the level Salvadoran basketball has reached.
El Salvador may be a small country, but events like this give its athletes the chance to compete on the same court as some of the strongest teams in the Americas.
Building a longer international schedule
The 2026 AmeriCup will not be an isolated event.
El Salvador has also been selected to host the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup again in 2027. The country will then welcome the 19th edition of the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, another important continental competition.
Holding these tournaments in consecutive years suggests that international sports organizations have confidence in El Salvador’s ability to provide facilities, security, coordination, and public support.
The record participation of 45 teams makes the 2026 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup an important moment for basketball in El Salvador. It is also another opportunity for the country to show international visitors what has changed and what it can offer.
From October 28 through November 1, Plaza Merliot will become the center of 3×3 basketball in the Americas—and Salvadoran fans will be able to experience it without paying an entrance fee.
Sources: Diario El Salvador, INDES, and FIBA.
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