Disappointment in Stožice as World Cup qualification becomes more precarious

Slovenia's national basketball team faces an uncertain path to the 2027 FIBA World Cup after a disappointing 79-88 loss to Sweden in the final game of the first qualifying round. This defeat, following a previous upset in Estonia, leaves the team with three wins and three losses as they enter the more challenging second stage of qualification.

The team is grouped with strong European contenders France, Finland, and Hungary. Historically, qualifying for the World Cup from such a competitive European field requires a significant number of victories, often at least seven wins based on recent tournaments. This task is made more difficult by the potential absence of star player Luka Dončić and naturalized player Jaxson Hayes, whose participation remains uncertain.

In the recent match against Sweden, Stefan Joksimović led Slovenia with 22 points, while Edo Murić added 11. Despite these efforts, the team could not overcome Sweden's performance, ultimately securing second place in Group H behind Estonia. All four teams in the group finished with identical three-win, three-loss records.

The second round of qualifiers is set to begin in August, with further games in November of this year and concluding in February 2027. The top three teams from the newly formed Group L will earn a spot in the World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in Qatar.