Victor Wembanyama Scores 22 In First Official Game As France Captain

Victor Wembanyama scored 22 points in 21 minutes Thursday in his first official game as captain of the French national team. France beat Slovenia 92-67 at Bercy Arena in Paris to open the second round of 2027 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers.

The San Antonio Spurs center added 9 rebounds and 1 block. He shot 5-of-5 inside the arc, 1-of-5 from 3-point range, and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line, and his 24 efficiency rating was the highest of any player in the game.

Rudy Gobert finished with 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Matthew Strazel had 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 6 assists. Sacramento Kings center Maxime Raynaud scored 13 points in under 10 minutes off the bench. Tibor Mirtic led Slovenia with 9 points and 8 rebounds.

France scored 31 points in the first quarter and never trailed.

"We worked well, we took the game seriously. We approached every quarter the way we needed to. It wasn't perfect, but it was good," Wembanyama said in an interview with L'Equipe .

"When we attack the basket like that from the start of the game," Wembanyama continued, "there isn't much they can do. Physically, we have qualities that they don't necessarily have. We played together."

A 12-0 run bridging the first and second quarters pushed the lead into double figures for good, and France led 54-35 at halftime. The margin reached 31 points in the third quarter. Slovenia closed with a 13-0 run spanning the third and fourth. Announced attendance was 15,831.

France had carried that same 54-35 lead into halftime against Serbia on Sunday in Orléans, then gave the 19-point advantage back and won 91-90 on Jaylen Hoard's layup at the buzzer.

"Everything depends on the circumstances," Wembanyama explained. "At halftime, we had almost the same score as we did against Serbia in the friendly game. We made mistakes in the previous game that we didn't repeat today. It wasn't perfect. You have to know how to find the right words depending on the context."

Serbia had won the first of the two friendlies 90-87 in Belgrade on Aug. 20. Wembanyama scored 10 points in that game. Nikola Jokić finished with 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.

The Bercy crowd chanted "MVP" at Wembanyama during the game.

"It feels good. It shows affection," Wembanyama said.

France's three centers combined for 44 points.

"Who else is going to do it? I'm joking. Who else but me has that responsibility? That was my intention, and everyone responded," Wembanyama said. "Regardless of the rotations, we played with three centers today and the level never dropped. That's good. We're showing more and more that our rotations are consistent."

Wembanyama and Gobert last shared a floor in the second round of the NBA playoffs, when San Antonio eliminated Gobert's Minnesota Timberwolves in six games.

"That's normal!" Wembanyama said. "That's the only direction it's supposed to go. I hope to share the court with him for a long time, for years. It's good. It's a step forward. We're working."

The French Basketball Federation named Wembanyama captain on Aug. 19. Thursday was his first official appearance for France since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he averaged 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He missed EuroBasket 2025 while recovering from a blood clot in his right shoulder.

San Antonio finished 62-20 last season and reached the NBA Finals, where New York won the series in five games. Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and a league-high 3.1 blocks in 64 games. He was the unanimous Defensive Player of the Year , made the All-NBA First Team, and finished third in MVP voting . He made his second All-Star team and started for the first time.

He signed a five-year, $252 million extension on July 10 that carries a player option in the fifth season.

France leads Group L at 6-1, with its only loss in the group coming against Finland. Slovenia dropped to 3-4. France plays Sweden on Sunday in Stockholm.