Victor Wembanyama is expected to miss France’s July games during the next FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying window after the San Antonio Spurs advanced to the Western Conference Finals, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops.
France head coach Frederic Fauthoux confirmed during an interview with RMC Sport that Wembanyama would likely be unavailable if San Antonio continued its playoff run.
As a result, the 22-year-old center is not expected to play against Belgium on July 3 or Finland on July 6.
However, Wembanyama is still expected to return for the second qualifying window later this summer in late August.
The French star is coming off another major international campaign after helping France capture a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where he was also named Rising Star and selected to the All-Star Five.
While Wembanyama is expected to sit out in July, France is set to welcome back veterans Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier to the national team program.
Fauthoux noted that it remains unclear whether Gobert will join the team early enough to participate in the first summer window.
France currently holds a 3-1 record in Group G and has already advanced to the next stage of the European qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
