The Second Round field for the FIBA World Cup 2027 European Qualifiers is now set, with 24 teams securing their place in the next stage.
The Second Round will feature four groups of six teams: Group I, Group J, Group K, and Group L.
The top three teams from each First Round group advance, while the results from the First Round carry over into the next phase.
That means every win and loss from the opening stage remains important, as teams will not start from zero in the Second Round.
How the Second Round format works
The First Round groups merge in the following way:
Group A and Group B form Group I Group C and Group D form Group J Group E and Group F form Group K Group G and Group H form Group L
Each team will play home and away against the three teams coming from the other First Round group.
For example, teams from Group A will now play teams from Group B, while their First Round results against teams from their original group will carry over.
At the end of the Second Round, the top three teams in each of the four Second Round groups will qualify for the FIBA World Cup 2027 in Qatar.
In total, 12 European teams will punch their ticket to the tournament.
The Second Round will be played across the final three qualification windows: August 2026, November 2026, and February 2027.
Each team will play six more games, facing the three teams that came from the other First Round group on a home-and-away basis.
However, not every team with the best players in the world can feel safe regarding its place in the upcoming World Cup.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic headlined the most recent international competitions, yet none of them may be playing in the 2027 World Cup.
Therefore, this article highlights the best players who might not play in the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 in Qatar.
Biggest stars that could miss FIBA Basketball World Cup Giannis Antetokounmpo 
Credit FIBA
Ahead of the Second Round, Greece was comfortably sitting in 1st place with a 3-1 record. However, back-to-back upsets by Romania and Portugal have since complicated the situation.
In the newly formed Group I, Greece currently sits in 5th place; as only three teams from the six-team group qualify for the World Cup, their position is uncertain.
Greece will play Ukraine, Spain, and Georgia twice each. While Vassilis Spanoulis’ team still holds everything in its hands, the threat of not seeing Giannis in the upcoming World Cup definitely exists.
However, it’s important to note that while Greece lacks a head-to-head advantage over 4th-placed Portugal, it does hold the tiebreaker over 3rd-placed Montenegro.
Group I standings Team Record Spain 5-1 Ukraine 4-2 Montenegro 4-2 Portugal 3-3 Greece 3-3 Georgia 3-3 Luka Doncic 
Credit FIBA Media
Like Greece, Slovenia also suffered two losses in the July window, which has jeopardized their qualification for next year’s World Cup.
Essentially, four teams – Slovenia, Estonia, Sweden, and Hungary – will fight for the final qualifying spot. France (5-1) leads comfortably in 1st, while Finland (4-2) occupies 2nd place.
Back in May, Luka Doncic announced he wouldn’t play for Slovenia this summer, a decision that further complicates the Slovenians’ chances.
In the Second Round, Slovenia will face France, Hungary, and Finland twice.
Group L standings Team Record France 5-1 Finland 4-2 Estonia 3-3 Sweden 3-3 Slovenia 3-3 Hungary 3-3 Nikola Jokic 
Credit FIBA
Before we start, it’s important to clarify one thing: Serbia’s situation isn’t as dangerous as that of the other teams mentioned.
The Serbians finished the First Round with a 4-2 record and are currently 3rd in the newly formed Group J.
However, Lithuania is right behind with a 3-3 record, and the two nations are set to meet twice.
That said, Serbia will also play Italy twice. With Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic expected to be present for the August matchup, the Serbians have a strong chance to overtake the Italians in the standings.
The bottom line is that while there is no need for Serbia to panic yet, there is also very little room for error.
Group J standings Team Record Turkiye 6-0 Italy 5-1 Serbia 4-2 Lithuania 3-3 Iceland 3-3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-4 Domantas Sabonis and Matas Buzelis 
Credit LTU Basketball
Despite playing in a relatively easy group in the First Round, Lithuania finished with only a 3-3 record, which significantly complicates their path to the upcoming World Cup.
Lithuania is already 4th and, in the Second Round, will play Turkiye, Serbia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina twice.
Given Turkiye’s perfect 6-0 record and Lithuania’s lack of a head-to-head advantage over Italy (5-1), their most likely path to qualification lies in overtaking Serbia (4-2).
That, however, is easier said than done.
Group J standings Team Record Turkiye 6-0 Italy 5-1 Serbia 4-2 Lithuania 3-3 Iceland 3-3 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-4 Kristaps Porzingis 
Credit FIBA
When it comes to Latvia, their chances of playing in the upcoming World Cup are slim, to say the least.
Despite finishing the First Round with a 3-3 record, Latvia finds itself in 4th place, trailing both Croatia and Germany by two wins.
The Latvians will play Croatia and Germany twice in the Second Round. While catching up is theoretically possible, Latvia will enter both matchups as heavy underdogs.
Group K standings Team Record Poland 6-0 Croatia 5-1 Germany 5-1 Latvia 3-3 Netherlands 2-4 Israel 2-4 Deni Avdija 
Credit FIBA Media
We stay in Group K, where Israel finds itself in an even more unfortunate position than Latvia. After finishing the First Round with a 2-4 record, they currently sit in 6th place.
Even if Israel wins all six of their games in the Second Round, it likely will not be enough to secure qualification.
The only silver lining is that Israel will face relatively weaker opposition in the Second Round, taking on Poland, Latvia, and the Netherlands.
Group K standings Team Record Poland 6-0 Croatia 5-1 Germany 5-1 Latvia 3-3 Netherlands 2-4 Israel 2-4
Edvinas Jablonskis began his basketball coverage career in 2017. Starting as a Daily Writer for BasketNews.lt, he steadily climbed the ranks and became a Daily Editor for BasketNews.com in 2021, a position he continues to hold.
Over the years, Jablonskis has covered multiple EuroLeague Final Fours and international tournaments, including the FIBA EuroBasket, FIBA Basketball World Cup, and FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
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