Latvia Calls Up 16-Year-Old Phenom Benjamin Broa for World Cup Qualifiers
Latvia has called up 16.5-year-old rising star Benjamin Broa to its senior national team preliminary roster, aiming to secure the American-Latvian phenom's international future ahead of FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
The Israeli national team is set to play two concluding matches later this month against the Netherlands and Latvia in the penultimate window of the World Cup qualifiers, having already lost qualification chances. While the opening fixture against the Dutch is a dead rubber for both squads, Latvia's situation is entirely different. Alongside their campaign to secure a miraculous World Cup berth, the Baltic side is fighting to lock down the future of one of basketball's brightest rising stars.
Latvia has announced its preliminary 20-man roster, featuring 16.5-year-old Benjamin Broa. The American-Latvian forward is projected as a top draft pick for the 2029 NBA draft and turned heads during the FIBA U16 European Championship, where he carried Latvia to a remarkable tournament triumph almost entirely on his own.
Broa, standing at 2.03 meters, was born to a Latvian mother and an American father, growing up in the United States while choosing to represent his mother's homeland. During the summer European cadet championship, he led the entire tournament in scoring with 23.6 points, rebounds at 15, blocks at 3.6, and recorded a staggering efficiency rating of 36.3—the highest ever measured in a FIBA youth national team tournament.
For the Latvians, securing Broa is a critical strategic decision. He received a call-up to the 20-player senior preliminary squad after recently participating in a training camp for the United States under-19 national team, which will assemble this summer for the youth World Cup.
FIBA rules regarding switching national teams are exceptionally strict. Broa, who has already played 14 games for Latvia's youth squads, could theoretically still switch allegiance to the United States subject to approval and clearance from the Latvian Basketball Association. However, should he feature in an official game for Latvia's senior national team and be registered on their active game-day roster, that avenue will be permanently blocked, tying his international future exclusively to Latvia.
The Latvian national team has experienced a talent dip in recent years, especially with Kristaps Porzingis stepping back from international basketball and other veterans passing their prime. Latvian basketball officials view the upcoming fixtures as a vital opportunity to integrate the younger generation and acclimate them to elite international competition, mirroring the path Finland took with Miikka Muurinen at EuroBasket 2025.
