Jokic Leads Serbia Into World Cup Qualifiers
Coach Dusan Alimpijevic has called up his strongest possible squad led by Nikola Jokic. After a closed-door test against the Czech Republic, Serbia face Switzerland away and Bosnia in Belgrade.
- Coach Dusan Alimpijevic named an 18-man squad led by Nikola Jokic.
- The list also includes Vasilije Micic, Nikola Jovic, Aleksa Avramovic and Tristan Vukcevic.
- Serbia played a closed-door warm-up against the Czech Republic in Belgrade on June 27.
- Two qualifiers follow: away to Switzerland on July 2 and against Bosnia in Belgrade on July 6.
The arena was empty, the doors shut to reporters and fans, while inside the floor a pick-and-roll the team had not run in months was back in motion. The best center on the planet had pulled on the national jersey again. On Saturday, June 27, the Czech Republic served as the first serious test, far from the cameras, exactly the way the coach likes to work before big games.
Dusan Alimpijevic got this summer what every coach dreams of. Nikola Jokic made himself available, and that alone changed the weight of the whole window. The 18-man squad is more than a formality, it is a statement that Serbia enter qualifying with their biggest weapon on the court.
Who is wearing the jersey this window?
Alongside Jokic, Alimpijevic called up a mix of experience and youth. Vasilije Micic, who holds the offense in his hands, is there, along with Nikola Jovic from Miami, Aleksa Avramovic and Tristan Vukcevic from Washington. The list also leans on a strong domestic core, with several Crvena zvezda players such as Ognjen Dobric, Dejan Davidovac and Nikola Djurisic, while Partizan is represented by Arijan Lakic.
Not everyone fans expected will be in the squad. Captain Bogdan Bogdanovic skips this window, and Nikola Milutinov, Filip Petrusev and Marko Guduric were also left out. That is part of the reality of national team windows in midsummer, when injuries and club commitments thin out the bench. Still, with Jokic in the middle, Serbia have a center to build everything else around.
The Czech game allowed the team to find its rhythm and let the coach test rotations. Closed-door warm-ups are nothing new, they give the staff the calm to try things they would not risk in an official game. The wind at Serbia’s back is the simple fact that their best player answered the call, and a recognizable system is taking shape quickly around him.
What comes next for the Eagles?
Now begins the part that counts in the standings. In qualifying for the 2027 FIBA World Cup, Serbia first travel to Switzerland on July 2, then host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Belgrade on July 6. Two games within just a few days, which means squad depth and freshness will matter as much as the names on the list.
The trip to Switzerland looks on paper like a game where Serbia must confirm their favorite’s role, but qualifiers can turn into a grind, especially on the road. The meeting with Bosnia in Belgrade carries extra spice, because neighborly clashes always run a little hotter, and the home crowd will demand a convincing performance.
For Alimpijevic, this is a chance to show his signature on the national team bench at a moment when he has a player of Jokic’s caliber available. If the squad comes out sharp from the Czech test, two points from the opening game lay the foundation for a calm run through qualifying. It all starts on July 2 in Switzerland, then the action moves to Belgrade for the neighborhood derby.
Do you believe Serbia, with Jokic in the squad, can come through this window with a perfect record?
