MUNICH (Germany) - The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers First Round is now complete, with 24 teams moving to the Second Round.
Only 12 will stand tall after another three windows of action, earning the right to represent the continent of Europe at the global summit in Qatar next summer.
The Second Round starts already in August, followed by another couple of windows in November 2026 and February/March 2027.
We will be monitoring each country's progress in our Power Rankings before and after each window.
#1 Türkiye (=)
Record: 6-0 Schedule in August: vs. Lithuania, @ Iceland
Only seven teams have ever gone 6-0 in the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers. Somehow, with all the panache that comes along with coach Ergin Ataman and Alperen Sengun's star power, we could see Türkiye becoming a 12-0 team.
You know how many have done it before them? Yep. Nobody. In any region, nobody, never, none, zero, sıfır. With Lithuania, Iceland and Italy coming up next for them in the Second Round, Türkiye probably think they are clear favorites in all six upcoming games.
It's their way of doing things, really.
#2 France (=)
Record: 5-1 Schedule in August: vs. Slovenia, @ Sweden
Stressless. Almost effortless. France were technically in danger of being swept by Finland on the last gameday, but in reality, they were so calm and collected, storming to a 29-point win to claim the tiebreaker and win the group.
We know, we know, it's still too soon. But look at that August schedule. We could get Wemby vs. Luka already in the first game of the Second Round! Please, please, please, basketball gods*, make it happen!
*also what we call Wemby and Luka, coincidentally
#3 Serbia (+1)
Record: 4-2 Schedule in August: vs. Iceland, @ Italy
While coach Dusan Alimpijevic wants to downplay it, we could have another layer of Nikola Jokic's greatness uncovered now. It was very obvious from these first two games together that the connection is real, resulting in Jokic being named team captain, Jokic getting a triple-double in front of a sellout crowd in Belgrade, and Jokic being called "the best in the world" by his coach.
So, yes, the usual, when it comes to the superstar playing for Serbia over the summer. But also... Something palpable in the air. Something extra to the usual-ness of it all.
"Let me just correct you: he's not 'one of the best in the world.' He is the best in the world. The way he behaves, the way he understands his role, the way he approaches his duties, that's something that deserves full respect, and we're enjoying it."
#4 Poland (+1)
Record: 6-0 Schedule in August: @ Israel, vs. Germany
Remember what we said about Türkiye? Of course you do, it was just a scroll or two ago... Well, the only other unbeaten team after the First Round is Poland!
It kinda seems unfair that we put them so low, and at the same time, coach Igor Milicic would tell you we're greatly overestimating them by putting them fourth here.
That's his style, you know? He loves when we talk about everybody else, only to reach Semi-Finals and Quarter-Finals of consecutive FIBA EuroBasket events, or go 6-0 in these Qualifiers. Tell us now, do you think they'll go 12-0?
#5 Germany (+1)
Record: 5-1 Schedule in August: vs. Netherlands, @ Poland
Coach Alex Mumbru is deepening the pool of talent for the reigning champions. This Window gave us a chance to see the Rytas Vilnius tandem Kay Bruhnke and Simonas Lukosius playing for Germany together, and 22-year-old Sananda Fru got his first taste of international basketball, too.
Oh, and while you're concerned with these new guys, the veterans have plenty to say, too. Look at Christian Sengfelder turning back the clock, 19 points, 10 rebounds, 33 efficiency rating in just 23 minutes against Cyprus.
They've created such a machine, everything works now. New guys, old guys, veterans, youngsters, superstars and role players - Germany look like the team to beat in Group K, with all due respect to Poland, Croatia or Latvia.
#6 Spain (-3)
Record: 5-1 Schedule in August: vs. Portugal, @ Greece
Instead of mentioning the fact they blew a 22-point lead over the last 12 minutes or so against Georgia, we'll just focus on the positives. The new kids on the block, as Alvaro Cardenas and Mario Saint-Supery are starting to take over the backcourt for the 2019 world champions.
Why is that important? Well, because it was their guard Ricky Rubio who led them to the title seven years ago, so yeah, don't sleep on these two if and when Spain make it back to the summit.
#7 Croatia (=)
Record: 5-1 Schedule in August: vs. Latvia, @ Netherlands
Repeat after us: Nema euforije. Nema euforije. Nema euforije.
Keep repeating it. Even with Mario Hezonja, Ivica Zubac and Dario Saric being the triple-headed monster, and even with Croatia being 5-1 and winning the group ahead of the world champs, there is still no reason to be euphoric if you're a Croatian basketball fan.
Just kidding, start the euforija, Croatia start the Second Round two wins above the line, meaning they are now inches away from reaching their first World Cup in 13 (yes, thirteen!) years.
#8 Italy (+2)
Record: 5-1 Schedule in August: @ BIH, vs. Serbia
Low-key, one of the most fun teams to watch in all of basketball! Do yourself a favor and re-watch the last quarter of their comeback win over Lithuania, there were so many trick plays and heat checks by Nico Mannion, Gabriele Procida and Stefano Tonut, it felt like they were singing, just playing with so much rhythm and movement.
They've got a major game coming up in August, you know how many times they tormented Serbia over the past few years and broke their hearts. If they repeat it against Nikola Jokic once more, well, start looking for flights to Qatar 2027, fratelli.
#9 Lithuania (-1)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Türkiye, vs. BIH
Okay, if you've just read the Italian part and are a Lithuanian fan, probably best to ignore it and whatever you do, don't re-watch it. Crazy that Lithuania ended up at 3-3 after the First Round, because they could've easily been up at 5-1 or even 6-0, considering they had double digit leads in all three games they lost.
Focus on the positives, though: NBA youngsters are here.
#10 Montenegro (+2)
Record: 4-2 Schedule in August: @ Georgia, vs. Ukraine
We have seen plenty of bizarre stats over the course of decades of following FIBA basketball events and tournaments.
Never, like, never-ever have we seen a team win the group, at 4-2, too, while having a -23 points difference. That's Montenegro for you. The clutchest of them all, 80-75 over Romania being their largest win of the campaign so far...
Oh, one more thing. Enjoy your national team retirement, Nikola Vucevic!
#11 Finland (=)
Record: 4-2 Schedule in August: vs. Sweden, @ Estonia
Solid window, won what you needed to win, also lost the one where you were the underdog. All eyes on August now, you won't get any closer games than this in terms of travels for Finland, so we're expecting them to go 2-0 as the most experienced of the northern teams in Group L.
That's actually the plan. Win the mini-tournament of those teams, and you're basically in the draw for the World Cup.
#12 Ukraine (+6)
Record: 4-2 Schedule in August: vs. Greece, @ Montenegro
It's never about one guy, except when it's clearly about one guy. Svi Mykhailiuk went crazy in July, a total of 58 points in 55 minutes of playing time, with a 45-50-100 shooting split, yes, 50 percent from deep, yes, on 11-of-22 in two games, yes, 5.5 threes per game at 50 percent WHAT!?
Ukraine at 4-2 now. Greece coming up next after an abysmal window for them, Montenegro following... If Svi goes 11-of-22 again, we're pushing Ukraine to Top 10 and checking the history books to see when was the last time they made the World Cup.
(Actually, it's not that hard, it was in 2014, they played vs. the United States in the group stage.)
#13 Greece (-4)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Ukraine, vs. Spain
How do you say "Hello, darkness, my old friend" in Greek?
#14 Latvia (+6)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Croatia, vs. Israel
They had the longest section in the last edition of the Power Rankings, they get the shortest now:
We told you.
#15 Portugal (+7)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Spain, vs. Georgia
Technically, they could go and say they should be at least 12th, if Greece are 13th...
One of the biggest upsets of all time in the Qualifiers happened, as they stunned Greece on the road, right in Athens, an upset so big it was mathematically the second largest of the Window, as there are 34 spots between them in the FIBA World Ranking, presented by NIKE.
So, what was the bigger upset, mathematically, than Diogo Brito, Travante Williams and Rafael Lisboa silencing Athens? Glad you asked, it was when Romania defeated Greece, a difference of 51 (!) spots in the World Ranking.
#16 Iceland (-1)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Serbia, vs. Türkiye
See how the draws are important for some teams. Most of the time, you just go, "ah well, we get who we get, it's all the same," and then there are times when we go: "Congrats, Iceland! You escaped a group with Italy and Lithuania with three wins to your name, while also surviving a last gasp halfcourt shot against Great Britain that could've eliminated you in the First Round! Now, here's your reward for all your bravery and top performances: You travel to Jokic-land next, followed by hosting Sengun-land in your next two games."
It's okay, man, they've got Tryggvi Hlinason, centers never bother them.
#17 Sweden (+6)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Finland, vs. France
Congrats, Sweden! You're the winner of the Basketball's Atalanta Bergamo award, a prestigious albeit fake award presented to the team starting at 0-3, then flipping the script completely and storming through to the next round!
The award is completely made up, but it also isn't, because Atalanta started the 2019-20 Champions League season with three defeats in three games, only to go on a sensational run which saw them reach the Quarter-Finals.
So yes, this is our way of saying Sweden will be in the Quarter-Finals of the World Cup in 2027. Sure.
#18 Georgia (+7)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: vs. Montenegro, @ Portugal
We were watching their games this Window, thinking how we could do something on Marcquise Reed fitting in so perfectly into coach Aleksandar Dzikic's system, averaging 24.3 points in his first four games with Georgia, with 5.3 assists also to his name.
Then we realized it was never about Reed, it was about the superhuman powers of one Tornike Shengelia, a man who never takes a day off, who went straight from the Spanish League Finals into the Georgian training camp, only to destroy Spain's 22-point lead in Tbilisi by getting 37 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals and an efficiency rating of 37, while playing all but 29 seconds of an overtime thriller.
Mr Georgia Basketball, Toko Shengelia.
#19 Hungary (=)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: vs. Estonia, @ Slovenia
Here's how this format works: A game with an already qualified team against an already eliminated opponent was one of the highest pressure moments of the entire First Round. Why?
Because Hungary needed to win the game against Belgium. They didn't actually need to do it, as they were already qualified, but they totally needed to do it, because it's a massive difference between going to the next phase at 2-4 or 3-3.
And when you count in the results from the neighboring group, where everybody went 3-3, you see why that win over already eliminated Belgium was absolutely needed for Hungary, as they are now, practically, at 0-0 with three new opponents, just a win behind Finland, two behind France.
World Cup 2027 could happen for Hungary, all because of the way they handled the game they didn't need to win, but definitely NEEDED to win.
#20 Slovenia (-6)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ France, vs. Hungary
Yeah, we're going to have to talk, Slovenia. An 0-2 window, including a 31-point defeat on the road in Estonia, there was really no way we keep you in the Top 15 for another month.
But having you at 20 right now is good news, because you get to be the highest climbers in the Power Rankings after the August window, when you go 2-0 with Luka Doncic throwing something like 50 alley-oops to Jaxson Hayes in France and against Hungary.
Anyway, this was a nightmare of a week for Slovenia.
#21 Estonia (-4)
Record: 3-3 Schedule in August: @ Hungary, vs. Finland
So, if they beat Slovenia by 31, why are they lower than them in the Power Rankings? Because this is like tennis, you see. A break is worth nothing if you can't hold your serve afterwards, and they hit the bottom of the net against Czechia in a game where they could've cruised through at 4-2 and put everybody else in the group plus Hungary from the other in their rear view mirror.
Instead, they need to find maybe four wins, probably three wins, definitely two wins against France, Finland and Hungary to reach the World Cup. Mountain to climb.
#22 Israel (-9)
Record: 2-4 Schedule in August: vs. Poland, @ Latvia
While they held their own against Germany thanks to Yam Madar's 31-point output, they had no clue how to perform against the Croatian giants in the middle and lost by 28 in Osijek.
What that means now is that they need to go at least 4-2, maybe even 5-1 against Poland, Latvia and the Netherlands to advance to the World Cup. It's not impossible, but becoming one of the first three teams to advance at 2-4 in European Qualifiers history drops you down nine spots, as your chances are slim right now.
#23 Bosnia and Herzegovina (-7)
Record: 2-4 Schedule in August: vs. Italy, @ Lithuania
They did what they had to do, qualified for the next round, but coach Dario Gjergja said he hopes they'll do more damage in the Second Round when they hopefully have Jusuf Nurkic, Dzanan Musa and Emir Sulejmanovic ready to return to the lineup.
Without them, down by seven spots here is understandable. Second of the three 2-4 teams to advance in European Qualifiers history.
#24 Netherlands (-5)
Record: 2-4 Schedule in August: @ Germany, vs. Croatia
For parts of the game, they really looked like they could be the first team to defeat Poland in the First Round, but they just lost it in the closing minutes, unable to cope with Poland's offensive rebounds.
This is the part where it gets tricky and dangerous. If you can't protect your own glass, you're gonna have a bad time against the next two opponents, because Germany and Croatia charge the offensive glass like there is no tomorrow.
Anyway, third of the first three 2-4 teams to advance to the Second Round in European Qualifiers history.
Note: The Power Rankings are entirely subjective and is in no way a true, accurate ranking system. All comments are purely those of the author.