San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama is playing meaningful basketball again Thursday, August 27, when France hosts Slovenia in the second round of qualifying for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
France and Slovenia tip off at 2:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. PT) at Bercy Arena in Paris. U.S. viewers can stream the game through Courtside 1891 on DAZN, the streaming home of FIBA World Cup qualifying action. NBA.com also directs viewers to Courtside 1891 for the August qualifying window.
For Spurs fans, this one carries considerably more weight than Wembanyama’s two recent exhibitions against Nikola Jokic and Serbia. France enters Thursday atop Group L at 5-1, and the games now count toward qualification for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
How to Watch Victor Wembanyama in France vs. Slovenia
Game: France vs. Slovenia
Date: Thursday, August 27
Time: 2:30 p.m. ET / 11:30 a.m. PT
Venue: Bercy Arena, Paris
U.S. stream: Courtside 1891 via DAZN
Courtside 1891 is FIBA’s streaming service and is available through DAZN. NBA.com lists Courtside 1891, powered by DAZN, as the streaming option for the 2027 World Cup qualifying window.
Heavy previously detailed the service for Wembanyama’s August 20 exhibition against Serbia, including the distinction that Courtside 1891 access can be purchased separately from a standard full DAZN subscription. [Heavy’s Wembanyama-Jokic viewing guide]
Thursday’s game is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. local time in Paris. FIBA identified France-Slovenia as one of the marquee games of the European qualifying window.
Wembanyama Starts World Cup Qualifying as France’s Captain
The viewing angle is only part of the story for San Antonio.
At 22, Wembanyama has been named captain of the French national team for this international window. He described the role as one centered on setting an example, leadership and preparation when discussing the appointment with Team France.
Thursday will be his first official World Cup qualifier in that role.
France used two games against Serbia to prepare for the window, splitting a pair of close contests against Jokic and one of Europe’s strongest teams. Serbia won the first meeting 90-87 in Belgrade before France answered with a 91-90 victory in Orléans on August 23.
Wembanyama scored 18 points and blocked two shots in the rematch, while his length helped France build a 54-35 halftime advantage before Serbia rallied. Sylvain Francisco led France with 20 points, and Jaylen Hoard won the game with a layup at the buzzer.
For more on why France handed Wembanyama the captaincy at such a young age, Heavy recently examined his rapidly expanding leadership role with the national team. Why Victor Wembanyama Became France’s Captain at Age 22
France-Slovenia Won’t Feature Wembanyama vs. Luka Doncic
The matchup is missing one obvious attraction.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is not on Slovenia’s confirmed 12-man roster for Thursday’s game. Slovenia instead lists a group that includes Klemen Prepelic, Aleksej Nikolic, Gregor Hrovat and Ziga Samar. France’s roster includes Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Maxime Raynaud and Francisco.
That takes away a potential Wembanyama-Doncic showdown, but not the importance of the game.
France carries a 5-1 record into the second round, while Slovenia begins at 3-3 in a tightly packed Group L. FIBA says 24 European teams remain in contention for 12 spots at the 2027 World Cup, with those berths to be determined across the remaining qualifying windows.
For Wembanyama, that makes Thursday the transition from an intriguing summer tuneup to something much closer to the real thing.
His next chance comes quickly: France travels to face Sweden on August 30, giving Spurs fans two competitive Wembanyama appearances before his attention eventually turns back toward San Antonio and the NBA season.
How to Watch Victor Wembanyama, France vs. Slovenia in FIBA Qualifier