When Georgia’s players walked into the arena to face France, nobody gave them much of a chance. The Olympic silver medalists were supposed to cruise past the underdogs and continue their march toward another EuroBasket title. Instead, something extraordinary happened that will be remembered as one of the biggest upsets in tournament history.
How Did Georgia Pull Off This Stunning Upset Against France?
In a historic achievement, Georgia ousted European basketball powerhouse France, the Olympic silver medalists, 80-70 in the EuroBasket 2025 round of 16. This can only be described as a massive shock and a momentous achievement for the European basketball underdogs, as they toppled one of the pre-tournament favorites.
The country of Georgia, a tiny fraction of the size of France, took on the daunting task of facing the Olympic silver medalists and beat them soundly, thanks to 24 points each from Kamar Baldwin and Tornike Shengelia. Shengelia last played in the NBA during the 2013-14 season for the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, while US-born guard Baldwin also put on a show with his 24-point performance.
Georgia upsets France to advance to the quarterfinals at EuroBasket for the first time in its country’s history.
Goga Bitadze: 8 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 1 BLK in 25 mins.
Georgia will face Finland on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/MaDykaRdmC
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) September 7, 2025
Another key standout for the Georgian team was Sandro Mamukelashvili, who contributed a double-double of 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Toronto Raptors forward had some bold words for his good friend and former teammate, San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama, who missed the game for France. Mamukelashvili declared they would have been unstoppable with or without the towering Frenchman.
What Did Mamukelashvili Say to Wembanyama After Georgia’s Historic Victory?
A confident Mamukelashvili wished France “nothing but the best,” but he had a confident message for his friend, the missing Wembanyama. Speaking with a smile and a glint in his eye, he said it wouldn’t have made a difference due to how well Georgia played, declaring it the greatest result in his country’s history:
The 6’9″ power forward, when asked what the victory means to his country, said he hopes it inspires a new generation of fans: “This means hopefully more kids going to love basketball, more kids going to start playing basketball, more kids going to look up to guys…it’s a big win for our country.”
This highlights one of the underrated benefits of the EuroBasket tournament, as new fans can be inspired by watching their country succeed on basketball’s biggest European stage.
What’s Next for Georgia in the EuroBasket Quarterfinals?
Georgia’s reward for its historic upset? A quarterfinal matchup against NBA star Lauri Markkanen’s Finland. The Finns had their own incredible upset, defeating Nikola Jokić’s Serbia 92-86 in an equally stunning result. Serbia entered as clear tournament favorites, yet Finland disposed of them behind Markkanen’s 29-point performance.
When asked which upset was bigger, Mamukelashvili left no doubt about his opinion: “Ours, for sure, for sure.”
Mamukelashvili has been terrific throughout the tournament, following up his 19-point performance in Georgia’s fantastic opening win against Spain. Overall, he’s averaging 14.2 points and 7 rebounds as he leads his team to the tournament’s final eight.
