Georgia’s men’s basketball team commence their World Cup qualifying campaign this evening at 20:50 Tbilisi time, hosting Ukraine in the Georgian capital. The match will be broadcast live on GPB First Channel, First Channel Sport, and Georgian Radio.
This encounter will mark an emotional farewell for Giorgi Shermadini before Georgian fans, as the veteran centre concludes a remarkable international career spanning nearly two decades. His final appearance for the national team will come on November 30 in Spain. Shermadini has now represented Georgia in 200 matches.
Head coach Aleksandar Džikić named his 12-man squad the day before the match. The roster includes Tornike Shengelia, who played for Barcelona in last night’s EuroLeague fixture against French side Villeurbanne, which Barcelona won. Shengelia will travel from Barcelona today, landing in Tbilisi at 16:00, join the team at the hotel, and take to the court at 20:50 alongside his teammates to battle Ukraine.
Georgia’s 12-Man Squad: Rati Andronikashvili, Kakha Jinjcharadze, Beka Burjanadze, Giorgi Shermadini, Duda Sanadze, Giorgi Turdzeladze, Giorgi Korsantia, Aleksandre Pevadze, Tornike Shengelia, Thad McFadden, Luka Mazziashvili, and Mate Khatiashvili.
The qualifying tournament consists of two stages. In the first stage, 32 teams have been divided into eight groups:
Group A: Denmark, Georgia, Ukraine, Spain
Group B: Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania
Group C: Serbia, Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Switzerland
Group D: Great Britain, Italy, Iceland, Lithuania
Group E: Croatia, Germany, Israel, Cyprus
Group F: Latvia, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria
Group G: Hungary, France, Belgium, Finland
Group H: Slovenia, Czech Republic, Sweden, Estonia
In the second stage, the top three teams from each group will advance to form four groups of six teams. Group A’s top three will face Group B’s top three, Group C will meet Group D, and so forth.
Each team will carry forward their results from the first stage matches and will only play against the three representatives from the paired group.
Ultimately, the top three teams from each six-team group in the second stage will qualify for the World Cup, which will be hosted by Qatar in 2027.
Georgia’s Fixtures
27 November 2025: Georgia vs Ukraine
30 November 2025: Spain vs Georgia
27 February 2026: Denmark vs Georgia
2 March 2026: Georgia vs Denmark
2 July 2026: Ukraine vs Georgia
5 July 2026: Georgia vs Spain
