France faces Doncic-less Slovenia tonight, but the Wembanyama rivalry will have to wait

France hosts Slovenia on August 27, 2026, at Bercy Arena in Paris, in Second Round Group L of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers. Tip-off is set for 8:30 PM local time, according to FIBA’s official game listing. Victor Wembanyama, named captain of the French national team ahead of these qualifiers per ESPN, will lead the hosts. But the game’s headline attraction won’t be on the floor: Luka Doncic is not suiting up for Slovenia.

Doncic confirmed that he would sit out this summer’s national team duty. “I have given everything to representing Slovenia and I am disappointed that I will not be able to play for my country this summer. But right now, my daughters come first,” he wrote, as reported by Yahoo Sports. Wembanyama addressed the absence himself, telling Basketnews, “It’s true that I’m a little disappointed that Luka won’t be there, but I’ll have another chance to face him later in my career.” Basketnews similarly reported that Wembanyama claims there “will be time” for the two to eventually clash.

A rivalry with history, minus its centerpiece

France and Slovenia have played seven games since 2007, with France winning three and Slovenia four, per Aiscore’s head-to-head data. Several of those meetings turned dramatic. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic semifinal, France won 90-89 after Nicolas Batum blocked Klemen Prepelic’s potential game-winning drive at the buzzer. Slovenia answered at EuroBasket 2022, beating France 88-82 as Doncic exploded for 47 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, earning him Player of the Game.

The most recent chapter came at EuroBasket 2025, when France beat Slovenia 103-95. Late in that game, with France up 101-92 and Slovenia seemingly conceding, Doncic shook hands with French guard Sylvain Francisco — who then scored a layup moments later, sparking a brief confrontation, in a sequence viewed as disrespectful, according to Basketnews.

At the NBA level, Doncic and Rudy Gobert have crossed paths in the 2024 Western Conference Finals and the 2025 playoffs. During Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference Finals, Doncic hit a go-ahead shot from 3-points over Rudy Gobert and shouted at him afterward, later saying he had been speaking Slovenian. The rivalry carried into the 2025 playoffs, when Gobert’s Minnesota Timberwolves eliminated Doncic’s Los Angeles Lakers.

France arrives at Bercy fresh off an exhibition loss to Nikola Jokic’s Serbia, 90-91. Tonight’s game follows that exhibition against Serbia, with Slovenia now built around a supporting cast rather than its NBA superstar.