Sweden Narrowly Falls to France in Intense Basketball Qualifier at Avicii Arena

On August 30, 2026, the Swedish men's basketball team delivered a strong and emotional performance against the Olympic silver medalists France in a qualification match held at the Avicii arena, also known as Globen, in front of 14,750 spectators including Swedish royalty. Despite a bright start and pushing France throughout the game, Sweden ultimately lost 69-84.

Sweden began the match with energy, led by Pelle Larsson, who scored a game-high 23 points, and Melwin Pantzar, who fired an early three-pointer to excite the crowd. The first quarter ended with Sweden holding a four-point lead, capped by a last-second three-pointer from team captain Ludvig Håkanson. Sweden managed to keep pace and entered halftime tied at 38-38. Strong defensive efforts, particularly by Viktor Gaddefors, helped limit French star Victor Wembanyama to 11 points in the first half. Wembanyama finished with 18 points overall.

The competitive spirit continued into the third quarter with Sweden maintaining pressure. Early in the fourth quarter, a three-pointer from Denzel Andersson gave Sweden momentum, but France pulled ahead late, gaining a decisive seven-point lead with just over three minutes remaining. Sweden was unable to close the gap in the final minutes.

Reflecting on the match, captain Ludvig Håkanson said, "It was goosebumps to run out here. I think several of us were about to lose it a bit during the national anthem. It was a lot of emotions. Just the fact that basketball Sweden has come this far is our biggest win." He acknowledged the tough challenge Sweden faced, commenting, "I don’t know why we didn’t have the energy. We faced a world nation and had to fight for every point, but I am very proud of the team."

Looking ahead, Sweden’s next qualification games are set for November, when they will host Hungary and then travel to face France again. The group consists of six teams, with the top three advancing to the 2027 World Cup in Qatar. Sweden will need at least three, likely four, wins in this round to progress.

Overall, the game underscored Sweden's significant progress on the international basketball stage and their ability to compete closely against one of the world's best teams.