Ten games were played today in the sixth round of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and the favorites took care of business as expected.
The schedule featured games in Groups C, E, F, G, and H, bringing the first phase of the qualifiers to an end. A total of 24 national teams secured their place in the next round, while eight teams saw their campaigns come to an end. Denmark, Romania, and Great Britain were eliminated yesterday, while Switzerland, Cyprus, Austria, Belgium, and Czech Republic joined them tonight.
DERBY OF THE DAY: France overpower Finland in Pau
A real spectacle was expected in Pau, where France hosted Finland. The visitors, led by Lauri Markkanen, certainly had the ambition to once again upset Les Bleus in these qualifiers, but at no point did they manage to seriously threaten. Frederic Fauthoux’s team fully capitalized on the quality at its disposal and imposed its authority from the very beginning until the end for the final outcome 98-69.
France were already up 49-30 at halftime against Finland, and the remaining two quarters were just a formality. It was also important for the French to secure a better head-to-head record against their direct rival, which they managed to do. The Finns won the opening game of the qualifiers 83-76, but this time suffered a much heavier defeat.
Elie Okobo and Maxime Raynaud led France in scoring with 16 points tonight. As expected, Markkanen was the standout for Finland with 14 points.
France in transition = a thing of beauty 🎨🖌️#FIBAWC x @FRABasketball pic.twitter.com/fXXVda5jaK
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) July 6, 2026
MVP PERFORMANCE: Another Nikola Jokic masterclass
Nikola Jokic once again showed why he has been a three-time NBA MVP. The new captain of the Serbian national team delivered another unforgettable night in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. His team hosted Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Denver Nuggets superstar was the main reason behind the 94-81 victory.
Although Nikola Jovic was the most efficient scorer for Serbia tonight with 32 points (7/9 3-pointers), Jokic was the one who did everything on the floor and finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds for total index rating of 37 and another triple-double. Bosnia and Herzegovina, as expected, had no answer for Jokic, and he truly enjoyed the night in Belgrade’s Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, where he played a game for the first time since 2014.
For Serbia, this game carried major importance as they now sit at 4-2 and, with one more win than Lithuania, enter the next phase of the qualifiers. Italy have one more win than Dusan Alimpijevic’s team, and Serbia’s goal will be to finish ahead of at least one of the two rivals in the standings.
Before the start of the game, the packed arena greeted Serbia’s U-17 national team with a big applause after they won the silver medal at the FIBA U-17 World Cup yesterday, where Nikola Kusturica, the next jewel of Serbian basketball, was also introduced to the global stage.
Nikola Jokic getting his shot ready ahead of Serbia's game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. 🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/KhbORdvWAg
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) July 6, 2026
GROUP H CHAOS: Czech Republic eliminated on point differential
A dramatic finish unfolded in Group H, where all four national teams ended the first phase of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers with identical 3-3 records, leaving point differential to determine the final standings. The Czech Republic ended up on the wrong side of the tiebreaker and was eliminated, while Estonia claimed first place in the group.
The Czech Republic closed out the qualifiers with a 75-73 victory over Estonia, with Ondrej Sehnal leading the way with 15 points. After that game, the Czechs needed Slovenia to defeat Sweden in order to advance to the next phase, but that did not happen. In the end, Estonia suffered the biggest setback, as a victory would have allowed them to carry four wins into the next phase, but instead they missed out on that opportunity.
Sweden needed a victory in Ljubljana and managed to get the job done. It certainly helped that Luka Doncic and several other key players were unavailable for head coach Aleksander Sekulic. On the other side, Pelle Larsson answered the call and was the driving force behind Sweden’s victory, finishing with 31 points.
FAVORITES CRUISE: Schroder flirts with triple-double, Perl leads Hungary to 3-3 record
The favorites delivered exactly what was expected of them. In Group F, Poland and Latvia were both expected to comfortably defeat Austria and the Netherlands, and that is exactly what happened. Poland earned a 92-84 victory over the Oranje, although the visitors cut the deficit to a one-possession game at one point in the fourth quarter. Keye van der Vuurst was outstanding with 26 points for the Netherlands, but it was not enough. As for Latvia, they completely dismantled Austria 112-66, with no player needing to spend more than 20 minutes on the floor.
Germany defeated Cyprus by 111-79 in a game that never had any drama or tension. Head coach Alex Mumbru used the opportunity to experiment with different lineups, while Dennis Schroder finished with 20 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, coming close to a triple-double. Christian Sengfelder added a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Hungary closed out the first phase of the qualifiers with an 85-70 home win over Belgium. The game had absolutely no significance for Belgium, who had already been eliminated from World Cup contention after losing to France a few days ago, while the victory was extremely important for the hosts. The win improved Hungary to a 3-3 record, keeping them firmly in the race for one of the three spots that lead to the FIBA World Cup. Hungary’s best player, Zoltan Perl, once again led the way with 19 points.
Turkey also had little trouble defeating Switzerland 95-72 in a game that was never in doubt. Switzerland, just like Belgium, had already been eliminated, making Turkey’s task even easier. Head coach Ergin Ataman gave playing time to all 12 players, while Omer Yurtseven led the team with 18 points.
STANDINGS
Serbia and Turkey fully lived up to their status as favorites in the sixth round and head into the next phase in high spirits. The Group J standings are as follows:
- Turkey 6-0
- Italy 5-1
- Serbia 4-2
- Lithuania 3-3
- Iceland 3-3
- Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-4
Turkey and Italy hold a significant advantage at the top of the group, while Serbia and Lithuania are realistically expected to battle for the remaining third spot that leads to the FIBA World Cup. As for Iceland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, they certainly will not give up, although it remains to be seen how much they can challenge in such a competitive group.
What watching Nikola Jokic looks like. 😅#FIBAWC | #StepItUp pic.twitter.com/5aBS8osYdF
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 🏆 (@FIBAWC) July 6, 2026
The newly formed Group K appears to be the most predictable one so far. Poland, Croatia, and Germany have a huge advantage over the rest of the national teams, and it would be a real surprise if they do not finish in one of the top three positions that lead to the FIBA World Cup at the end of the qualifiers:
- Poland 6-0
- Croatia 5-1
- Germany 5-1
- Latvia 3-3
- Netherlands 2-4
- Israel 2-4
In Group L, it can be stated that France is the only team in a clearly superior position compared to the rest, while Finland also holds a slight advantage heading into the start of the second phase of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. As for all the others, a major battle awaits, in which everyone has their own calculations on how to secure a place in Qatar next year.
- France 5-1
- Finland 4-2
- Estonia 3-3
- Hungary 3-3
- Slovenia 3-3
- Sweden 3-3
