Victor Wembanyama marked his return to Paris by leading France to a 25-11 first-quarter lead over Slovenia in a 2027 Basketball World Cup qualifier on Thursday night.
The match at the Accor Arena in Bercy marked Wembanyama's first official competitive appearance for the French national team since the 2024 Paris Olympic Games final.
Wembanyama was recently appointed as captain of the national side by head coach Freddy Fauthoux for the August international fixture window. The San Antonio Spurs star led from the front as France took early control against a depleted Slovenian team.
Wembanyama sparks early lead
France opened the scoring in the second minute when Sylvain Francisco and Wembanyama scored early baskets to establish a 4-0 lead. Wembanyama added another basket and a free throw by the fourth minute to stretch the advantage to 9-3 for Fauthoux's side.
The French star brought the crowd inside the Bercy arena to its feet in the sixth minute by sinking his first three-pointer of the night. His eight early points helped push France into a commanding position during a dominant opening quarter.
Slovenia struggled to match France's intensity and quickly ran into foul trouble. The visitors committed five team fouls in the opening five minutes, putting France into the penalty for the remainder of the first period.
Wembanyama was subbed off in the seventh minute of the game, with veteran Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert coming on to replace him. Aside from a brief stretch during the first quarter of a friendly against Serbia a week earlier, coach Fauthoux has rarely paired Wembanyama and Gobert together on the court.
Slovenia missing key scorers
Slovenia entered the contest without Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. The visitors were also missing key scoring options Gregor Hrovat and Leon Stergar, leaving them short of offensive power for the crucial qualification fixture.
The missing players added to the pressure on Slovenia, who entered Thursday's game sitting fifth in Group L. With a record of three wins and three losses, Slovenia were tied with Sweden, Estonia, and Hungary in a tight battle for qualification.
France entered the game leading Group L after winning five of their opening six qualification matches. A victory over Slovenia would move Les Bleus significantly closer to securing their spot at the tournament.
The top three teams in the group will earn qualification for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar. France had already built momentum ahead of the fixture following a friendly victory over Serbia in Orléans on Sunday.
Packed crowd at Bercy
The atmosphere inside the Accor Arena was electric ahead of the 8:30 pm tip-off. Fans filled the venue despite heavy rain across Paris earlier in the evening, cheering as players were introduced during a pre-match presentation.
Both teams lined up on the court for the national anthems, with the home supporters singing La Marseillaise before the action got under way.
France's dominant 25-11 opening period established control early as they aimed to consolidate their position at the top of Group L.
