Sweden Edges Out Czech Republic in Crucial Basketball World Cup Qualifier

Sweden’s basketball team kept their 2027 World Cup hopes alive with a vital 87-76 win over the Czech Republic in Stockholm’s sold-out Hovet Arena. Sweden needed a victory to stay in contention for qualification and delivered a dominant first half, leading 34-16 after the first quarter and 61-35 at halftime.

Standout performances came from Pelle Larsson, who led the scoring with 19 points, and Bobi Klintman, who debuted impressively with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Elliot Cadeau also contributed significantly early on. However, Sweden’s momentum faltered in the third quarter as the Czech team reduced the lead. Despite a 20-point advantage going into the final quarter, sloppy play allowed the Czech Republic to narrow the gap to 13 points.

The win was not by a large enough margin, though; Sweden needed an 18-point victory due to Estonia’s concurrent win over Slovenia. Now, Sweden must secure a win in their next match against Slovenia and hope for a Czech loss to Estonia to advance to the next qualifying round. Veteran players Viktor Gaddefors and Melwin Pantzar helped stabilize Sweden in the later stages of the game.

The qualifiers feature Sweden in Group H alongside Estonia, the Czech Republic, and Slovenia, with the top three teams progressing to the next phase. Despite the narrow margin, Sweden remain in the hunt thanks to a spirited and energetic display on July 4, 2026.