Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is looking to build on a great rookie season.
Spurs center Victor Wembanyama looks on before a game against the Miami Heat. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama has a new role with the French national team.
France named the San Antonio Spurs center as its captain ahead of the upcoming FIBA World Cup European qualifiers. He will lead Les Bleus against Slovenia on Aug. 27 and Sweden three days later.
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The 22-year-old is France’s youngest captain since Tony Parker held the role in 2003. Head coach Frédéric Fauthoux sees the Spurs center as the leader of France’s next generation of players.
THE WEMBY ERA BEGINS 🇫🇷
Victor Wembanyama is named captain of the French national team ahead of the European Qualifiers vs. Slovenia and Sweden. pic.twitter.com/uYZgumbaqZ
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) August 19, 2026
Wembanyama already carries plenty of international experience. He helped France win a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, averaging 15.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.3 assists across six games. He returns to the national team with even more experience.
The Le Chesnay native just completed a historic NBA season with San Antonio. He averaged 25.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists and 3.1 blocks.
Victor Wembanyama’s NBA career performance
BASKET-NBA-DRAFT
BASKET-NBA-DRAFT | TIMOTHY A. CLARY/GettyImages
Wembanyama was Spurs’ first overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. He then quickly became one of basketball’s biggest stars.
The two-time All-Star’s career averages already stand at 23.4 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists through 181 games. He also owns a 48.4 percent career field-goal mark and shoots 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Wembanyama made his biggest defensive leap in 2025-26. He averaged 3.1 blocks and 1.0 steal per game. The NBA rewarded his impact by naming him Defensive Player of the Year for the first time.
The 7-foot-4 center posted a 56.9 percent effective field-goal percentage. He paired his size with a reliable jumper and polished finishing around the rim. That combination makes him one of the most difficult players for defenses to contain.
The newly named France captain can score, rebound and set up teammates. Most importantly, he can control a game on defense. Th French national team now expects him to control the team as well.