France Eliminated from EuroBasket by Georgia in Round of 16 Upset
Tbilisi, Georgia – France’s EuroBasket run ended abruptly Sunday with an 88-81 loss to Georgia in the round of 16, marking a stunning upset for the tournament favorites. The defeat mirrors a similarly narrow escape for France against Turkey in overtime (87-86) at the same stage of the competition in 2022, a game the opposing coach then described as requiring “a miracle.”
The loss underscores the unpredictable nature of high-stakes basketball, a point emphasized by French player Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot: “No one is unbeatable, each possession counts.” France, boasting a highly decorated recent history – including eight medals under coach Vincent Collet from 2009-2025 – had been widely expected to face Serbia in the quarterfinals. Instead, georgia advances to play Finland on Tuesday for a spot in the semi-finals, while france’s campaign concludes with a disappointing early exit. Nicolas Batum previously recalled that a generation of French players missed their first international meeting in 2010, before achieving critically important success.
