Latvia is set to host the Under-19 Basketball World Cup ©Getty Images

Latvia's capital Riga and second-largest city Daugavpils are ready to host the 2021 edition of the International Basketball Federation Under-19 World Cup, with defending champions the United States tipped to retain their crown.

Competition starts tomorrow, with the final due to take place on July 11.

The sixteen teams have been split into four groups of four, and a round-robin format will determine the seeding for the knockout stage, which all teams progress to.

Groups A and B are set to take place at the Daugavpils Olympic Center, while Groups C and D are due to play at the Riga Olympic Center.

Group D the US, who are set to start their campaign against Turkey before facing Mali, the team they defeated in the 2019 final.

Australia are also in this group.

The hosts have been drawn in Group B with 2019 quarter-finalists Serbia and Puerto Rico, as well as Iran who make a return to the competition after China withdrew on health grounds.

In Group A, Lithuania will look to improve on their fourth-place finish two years ago and have been drawn with Senegal and Canada - who faced each other in the last 16 in 2019, with Canada progressing that time to the quarter-finals.

Japan, set to compete at the World Cup for the fourth time and only the second time since 1999, complete the group.

France, bronze medallists in 2019, are the standout side in Group C, having been drawn with Argentina, South Korea and Spain.

Arena Riga is due to host matches form the quarter-finals onwards.