EuroBasket 2025 flipped on its head again in Riga, where Georgia stunned France 80–70 and punched a historic ticket to the quarterfinals. The upset, Georgia’s first trip to the last eight, arrived only hours after Finland bounced Serbia, turning a bracket once expected to feature a France–Serbia showdown into a showcase for underdogs and belief.
From the opening tip, the building throbbed with chants of “Sakartvelo! Sakartvelo!” and Georgia matched that energy with poise. They led for all but four minutes, never blowing the game open yet never blinking, either.
France rallied late, three quick triples erased a nine-point gap and tied it 66–66 with four minutes left, but Georgia coolly answered: Tornike Shengelia buried a dagger three, Kamar Baldwin drew a foul on a triple and sank all three free throws, and the door quietly closed. Georgia finished the night on a 12–2 run.
Baldwin picked a perfect moment for his EuroBasket career high: 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting, orchestrating with maturity beyond his caps. Shengelia matched him with 24 and eight boards, hitting big shots every time France threatened.
Sandro Mamukelashvili added 14 and 11 rebounds, while Goga Bitadze’s line (eight points and four rebounds) undersold his impact; his late kick-out to Shengelia for the go-ahead three and a clutch rim rejection on the next possession were turning points, capped by a breakaway dunk in the final half-minute.
The numbers tell the other half of the story. Georgia delivered their cleanest perimeter night of the tournament (10-of-18 from deep), while France clanked to 6-of-36. When the margins were tight, Georgia’s shot quality and ball movement held; when the pressure spiked, their composure did, too.
France’s exit will sting. Yes, they were shorthanded: Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Evan Fournier were out, and Alex Sarr (calf) was lost for the event, but expectations remained high after a 4–1 group stage.
Sylvain Francisco (14) and Guerschon Yabusele (12) led the scoring, and No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher managed seven on 2-of-8 shooting. For only the second time in 25 years, Les Bleus won’t be among Europe’s top eight.
Georgia’s march isn’t a one-off. They opened the tournament by beating defending champions Spain and have now ousted the 2022 silver medalists. The reward is a quarterfinal date with Finland and the guarantee of their best EuroBasket finish in only their sixth appearance.
It’s also a reminder that EuroBasket’s soul lies in its volatility. Rosters change, stars rest, styles clash, and a nation that has never been this far can suddenly hear itself over the favorites.
