2027 World Cup: Finland takes sole 2nd place behind France, Slovenia bounces back

A few hours after France’s win in Sweden (69-84), Finland and Slovenia answered back in Group L. Led by Lauri Markkanen, the Finns corrected Estonia in Tallinn (67-96) to bring their record to five wins and three losses. Slovenia, meanwhile, snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Hungary in Ljubljana (92-77). After eight games, France remains solidly in first place with a 7-1 record, ahead of Finland (5-3), while Slovenia, Sweden, and Hungary are tied at 4-4.

Finland makes the difference after the break

Held to a tight first half in Tallinn, Finland changed pace after coming out of the locker room. Estonia had actually led by up to eight points (34-26), before the visitors managed to finish the first half in front (35-38).

What followed was one-sided. The “Susijengi” won the third quarter 28-11 and stretched their lead to twenty points (46-66), before driving the point home in the final ten minutes. After conceding 34 points over roughly the first sixteen minutes, Finland dominated the rest of the game 70-33.

Lauri Markkanen finished as Finland’s top scorer with 21 points and 10 rebounds in just 25 minutes. Olivier Nkamhoua added 18 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, while Edon Maxhuni also scored 18 points, going 4/6 from three-point range. Miro Little confirmed his growing role in the rotation with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

This win above all allows Finland to pull away from their pursuers. With five wins in eight games, they now have a one-game lead over the trio of Slovenia, Sweden, and Hungary.

Slovenia stays alive in the 2027 World Cup qualifiers

The situation was much more pressing for Slovenia. Having lost their previous three games, Aleksander Sekulić’s team needed to beat a direct rival. They got the job done, leading for almost the entire game against Hungary.

Starting with a 10-0 run, the Slovenians finished the first quarter up 8 (25-17) and kept a seven-point lead at halftime (43-36). Hungary came back to within 75-68 in the final quarter, but Klemen Prepelič and Rok Radović quickly shut down that comeback attempt.

Prepelič was the main architect of the win with 24 points, 9 assists, and six made three-pointers. Aleksej Nikolić added 18 points and 6 assists, while Alen Omić posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Slovenia notably grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and dished out 25 assists.

France keeps a two-game lead

The French team therefore remains the big winner of this second summer window. After their win in Sweden, they now have a record of seven wins and one loss, keeping a two-game lead over Finland.

Behind them, the battle for the third qualifying spot remains wide open. Slovenia, Sweden, and Hungary all have a 4-4 record, ahead of Estonia (3-5). The top three teams from each of the four groups in the second round will earn their ticket to the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.