Carmelo Anthony pulled the qualification draw balls for the 2027 Basketball World Cup Tuesday evening in Doha, outlining Ukraine's potential path to the global tournament. The NBA legend participated in the ceremony that has set the competitive framework for national teams worldwide, including Ukraine's squad under coach Ainars Bagatskis.
"The draw has given us clarity about our qualification journey," a Ukrainian basketball federation representative might say after seeing the results.
For Ukraine, the road to Qatar 2027 begins with a pre-qualification hurdle. The "blue and yellows" must first navigate through a group with Slovakia and Switzerland before even thinking about the main qualification phase. And here's the crucial part - the pre-qualification results will significantly impact their chances.
If Ukraine wins their pre-qualification group (which they absolutely should against such opposition), they'll land in Group A alongside Spain, Georgia, and either Denmark or Norway (likely Denmark). This scenario presents a realistic qualification path.
However, finishing second in pre-qualification would be disastrous, sending Ukraine to Group C with Turkey, Serbia, and Bosnia - a murderous group that would make qualification extremely difficult.
By the way, the Group A path looks remarkably similar to Ukraine's qualification journey for the previous World Cup, where they also faced Spain and Georgia. Against Georgia, a team with stars like Tornike Shengelia and Giorgi Shermadini, Ukraine split their previous qualification meetings 1-1.
Spain, despite their prestigious status, typically don't field their strongest lineup during qualifications due to the ongoing conflict between FIBA and EuroLeague. This scheduling clash means Spanish NBA and EuroLeague stars are usually unavailable, giving Ukraine a fighting chance, especially in home games.
Against Denmark or Norway, Ukraine would actually enter as favorites. The Danes feature EuroLeague-caliber players like Iffe Lundberg and naturalized American Shavon Shields, while Norway lacks any players of similar quality.
If Ukraine advances from Group A, they'll merge with the top three teams from Group B, which includes Greece, Montenegro, Portugal, and the winner of another pre-qualification group (Romania, Hungary, or North Macedonia).
In this final qualification phase, three World Cup berths will be contested among these teams. Greece, like Spain, often competes without their EuroLeague stars and NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo during qualifications. Montenegro presents a challenge similar to Georgia with veteran star Bojan Dubljevic, while Portugal recently denied Ukraine a spot at EuroBasket 2025.
Can Ukraine secure one of those three World Cup tickets? The draw offers real hope - if they win their pre-qualification group. The team avoids the deadliest concentration of European powers and has a genuine shot at qualification. Their biggest challenge? Fixing the significant gameplay issues that have plagued them recently.
Will Bagatskis finally get his team playing consistently enough to return Ukraine to the world stage?
