MUNICH (Germany) - The road to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 continues, with teams looking to build on their impressive start after the first window and others looking to bounce back.
With 32 sides dreaming of a plane ticket to Qatar in 2027, the players will be looking to steer their side to the promised land.
Here is a list of 10 standouts who aim to shine during the upcoming window.
Dzanan Musa – Bosnia and Herzegovina
SHOOTING GUARD
Birth Date: May 8, 1999 (26 years old) Height: 202 cm / 6'8" Team: Dubai Basketball (UAE)
After dropping their first two Group C games, Bosnia and Herzegovina will be buoyed by the arrival of Dzanan Musa, who has been the key component for this side over the years. The 26-year-old was forced to miss FIBA EuroBasket 2025 due to health reasons, and despite the team advancing to the Round of 16, his presence was greatly missed. Before that, he steered the Bosnians successfully through the Qualifiers; averaging 22.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
Mario Hezonja – Croatia
FORWARD
Birth Date: Feb 25, 1995 (30 years old) Height: 202 cm / 6'8" Team: Real Madrid (ESP)
After missing out on qualification for last summer’s EuroBasket, it is redemption time for Croatia, and they have begun their qualification path well, bagging two wins in the opening window. One man who has been at the heart of it all thus far has been Mario Hezonja, who averaged a solid 22.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the wins over Cyprus and Israel.
Hezonja and indeed the rest of the Croatian side will undoubtedly relish the two games coming up against the European and World champions, Germany.
Tomas Satoransky – Czechia
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Oct 30, 1991 (34 years old) Height: 201 cm / 6'7" Team: FC Barcelona(ESP)
The premier playmaker of Czechia returns in the second window, looking to pick up where he left off and keep the unbeaten run going. Tomas Satoransky was sublime in the first window, posting 17.0 points, 11.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, leading his side to two wins over Sweden and Estonia.
The tough task of containing Slovenia awaits, but if Satoransky continues his blistering form, then Czechia could be inching closer to that magic ticket to Qatar.
Mikael Jantunen – Finland
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Apr 20, 2000 (25 years old) Height: 204cm / 6’8” Team: Fenerbahce Spor (TUR)
Mikael Jantunen enjoyed a solid individual start to the World Cup Qualifiers, putting up 13 points and 7 rebounds against Hungary, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Hungarians from scoring an 89-82 success. Finland did bounce back with an impressive 83-76 win over France, with Jantunen flirting with a double-double of 9 points and 9 rebounds. He will look to put Finland in a winning position in Group G when they square off against Belgium.
Sylvain Francisco – France
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Oct 10, 1997 (28 years old) Height: 185cm / 6’1” Team: Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU)
Sylvain Francisco will make his FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers debut for France in this window, and his influence is sorely needed as the French go into their double header against Hungary with a 1-1 record in Group G. Francisco averaged a shade under 10 points at last summer’s EuroBasket but his high basketball IQ and downhill style of play will play to France’s strength as they aim to get back on track.
Azuolas Tubelis – Lithuania
POWER FORWARD
Birth Date: Mar 22, 2002 (24 years old) Height: 205cm / 6’8” Team: Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU)
Another player making his first appearance in these World Cup Qualifiers is set to be Lithuania’s Azuolas Tubelis, who is coming off a solid EuroBasket campaign, averaging 9.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and made a name for himself in his first international tournament. Lithuania will benefit from Tubelis’ inside presence, his transition game, which he uses to attack the basket, and his underrated three-point shot.
Oleksandr Kovliar – Ukraine
GUARD
Birth Date: Jun 26, 2002 (24 years old) Height: 191cm / 6’3” Team: KK Buducnost Podgorica (MNE)
When the first window concluded, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Kovliar outshone them all, leading all scorers with a ridiculous average of 29.5 points, which included a double-double of 28 points and 11 assists in their win over Denmark as his side ended with a 2-0 record in Group A.
However, Kovliar will certainly look to keep his momentum going when Ukraine face off against Spain next.
Vasileios Toliopoulos – Greece
GUARD
Birth Date: Jun 15, 1996 (29 years old) Height: 188cm / 6’2” Team: Panathinaikos Athens (GRE)
On an individual level, Vasileios Toliopoulos struggled in Greece’s opening two games, going 1-for-8 against Romania, followed by a 2-for-8 shooting performance in their next encounter against Portugal. Fortunately, Greece secured wins in both those contests, so the guard won’t be too bothered. Regardless of how he played, Toliopoulos is a competitor and will look to shake off his international slump to steer Greece to what they hope will be a 4-0 record after the second window. Standing in the way is Montenegro.
Ludde Hakanson – Sweden
POINT GUARD
Birth Date: Mar 22, 1996 (29 years old) Height: 189cm / 6’2” Team: Joventut Badalona (ESP)
Swedish veteran Ludde Hakanson put points on the board and dished the points around to his teammates as well during the first window - averaging 24.5 points and 10.5 assists over the course of those two games.
However, it wasn’t enough as Sweden fell to two defeats. A pair of games against a stubborn Estonia could be a good way for them to bounce back; otherwise, their World Cup dreams could be fading.
Cedi Osman – Türkiye
GUARD
Birth Date: Apr 8, 1995 (30 years old) Height: 200 cm / 6'7" Team: Panathinaikos Athens (GRE)
Cedi Osman was one of Türkiye’s standouts at last summer’s EuroBasket - averaging 16.0 points per game, and as a veteran, providing the perfect supporting cast to Alperen Sengun, en route to the runners-up spot. Osman will look to guide his side to two more wins in Group C with the mighty Serbia standing in their way.
FIBA