MIES (Switzerland) - Fans everywhere love an underdog story, and the latest window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers delivered plenty of shock results over three thrilling days on the Road to Qatar.
Among the results in the second window, world champions Germany were toppled, and Lithuania gave up a 21-point cushion that words could not fathom.
Here’s a look at the upsets, ranked by margin of victory and ranking differential according to FIBA World Ranking Men, presented by NIKE.
# | Winning team | Losing team | Result | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Iceland (45th) | Lithuania (9th) | -36 | |
2. | Croatia (34th) | Germany (2nd) | -32 | |
3. | Romania (64th) | Portugal (46th) | -18 | |
4. | Austria (66th) | Netherlands (53rd) | -13 | |
5. | Türkiye (11th) | Serbia (3rd) | -8 | |
6. | Poland (19th) | Latvia (12th) | -7 | |
7. | Montenegro (18th) | Greece (13th) | -5 | |
8. | Sweden (41st) | Estonia (37th) | -4 |
Iceland (#45) 86-85 Lithuania (#11)
Fridriksson brings Iceland back from the depths: Iceland delivered a dramatic comeback win, edging Lithuania 86-85 in a pulsating clash, where the hosts wiped a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit. The Icelandic side needed the late-game brilliance of Elvar Fridriksson, who scored all 8 of Iceland’s points in the final 1:13 to seal the most unlikely of wins. Fridriksson would end with 34 points, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals. Marek Blazevic led Lithuania with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
Croatia (#34) 93-88 Germany (#2)
Don't call it a comeback: Croatia delivered a 93-88 win over Germany that was more than just a win over the world champions. It was a statement that they have returned to the global stage, having missed out on qualifying for last summer's FIBA EuroBasket. In a game that featured 17 lead changes, Croatia had the edge in the second half and produced a decisive run down the stretch to score the win. Dario Saric led the way for Croatia with 23 points, with David Kramer pacing Germany with 22 points and 8 rebounds.
Romania (#64) 101-96 Portugal (#46)
Romania win it late in one of the games of the window: In a game that featured 26 lead changes, Romania claimed a 101-96 win over Portugal in a dramatic finish to secure their first win in Group B. With Romania trailing 96-95 after a Diogo Ventura three with 34 seconds left, Daron Russell answered, knocking down a clutch triple of his own to put Romania back in front at 26 seconds remaining, which led to the victory. Russell would end with 29 points and 6 assists. Travante Williams had a game-high 33 points for the Portuguese.
Netherlands (#53) 87-88 Austria (#66)
Austria stay alive with big win: Austria erased an 11-point deficit to steal a last-second 88-87 win over the Netherlands, thanks to a flurry of clutch three-pointers in the final moments, capped by Timo Lanmuller's triple with seven seconds left to put his team ahead for good. Fynn Schott anchored Austria with a double-double, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 8-for-11 from the field, Bogic Vujosevic nearly posted a triple-double, bagging 15 points, 9 rebounds, and a game-high 13 assists. Keye van der Vuurst led the Netherlands with 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, going a spotless 10-for-10 from the line.
Serbia (#3) 78-82 Türkiye (#11)
Biberovic’s heroics give Türkiye the win in Belgrade: Türkiye prevailed 82-78 over Serbia in a game that could have gone either way. The hosts trailed for the majority, mounted a late comeback, but Türkiye’s composure down the stretch proved decisive. Tarik Biberovic scored 7 points in the final 4:18 to lead the winners with 22 points, which included hitting five triples. Bogoljub Markovic paced Serbia with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. An 'upset' in terms of rankings, but two of Europe's powerhouses going at it in the double header.
Türkiye (#11) 94-86 Serbia (#3)
It was so nice that Türkiye had to beat Serbia twice: Türkiye once again defeated Serbia 94-86 to march on to the Second Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers. Türkiye controlled the pace from the start, leading 48-44 at halftime and building on their advantage as the second half progressed. Biberovic was once again at the heart of everything, leading the victors with 21 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Aleksa Avramovic paced Serbia with 16 points, 5 rebounds, and a game-high 9 assists.
Latvia (#12) 82-84 Poland (#19)
Jordan Loyd breaks Latvian hearts: Poland claimed a stunning 84-82 victory over Latvia in Riga, when it looked certain they would fall to defeat. With three seconds left in the fourth, Arturs Strautins drove for a layup and the three-point play to put Latvia ahead 82-81. On the next possession, Jordan Loyd responded for Poland with a dagger three-pointer to give them a monumental victory. Loyd would end with 37 points on 13-for-24 from the field, including 7-for-15 from beyond the arc. Strautins had 27 points and 6 rebounds for Latvia.
Poland (#19) 92-72 Latvia (#12)
Poland proves the first time wasn't a fluke: Poland powered past Latvia 92-72 in the return game as the Poles unleashed an 11-0 run over a span of 2:46, stretching a 10-6 advantage into a commanding 21-6 lead. That burst set the tone for the rest of the game. Michal Sokolowski led the way for Poland, finishing with 20 points and 8 rebounds. Strautins once again paced Latvia with 20 points.
Greece (#13) 65-67 Montenegro (#18)
Montenegro stun Greece in Athens: A timely basket from Emir Hadzibegovic gave Montenegro a 67-65 success over Greece in a frantic finish in Athens, which opened up Group B. Zoran Nikolic stole the spotlight for Montenegro, finishing with 19 points on 6-for-10 from the field along with 6 rebounds. Hadzibegovic provided key support with 10 points and 7 rebounds, whereas Kostas Antetokounmpo led Greece with 13 points.
Estonia (#37) 69-79 Sweden (#41)
Sweden breathes life into qualification hopes: It was joy for Sweden as they faced elimination against Estonia but met the challenge head-on, coming away with a deserved 79-69 win. Ludde Hakanson led all scorers with 18 points, as he drilled four three-pointers. Henri Drell led Estonia with 16 points, who will feel bitterly disappointed that they were unable to win on home court.
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