FROM September 12 to 28, the Philippines hosted the 21st Volleyball World Championship for men’s national teams. 1xBet, an official partner of Volleyball World, sums up the results of this thrilling competition.
In 2025, the tournament featured 32 teams for the first time – eight more than in previous editions. All participants in the group stage were divided into eight groups:
Group A: Philippines, Iran, Egypt, Tunisia
Group B: Poland, Netherlands, Qatar, Romania
Group C: France, Argentina, Finland, South Korea
Group D: USA, Cuba, Portugal, Colombia
Group E: Slovenia, Germany, Bulgaria, Chile
Group F: Italy, Ukraine, Belgium, Algeria
Group G: Japan, Canada, Turkey, Libya
Group H: Brazil, Serbia, Czech Republic, China
After three rounds, the top two teams from each group advanced to the Round of 16. The playoff then followed the standard knockout format – quarterfinals, semifinals, a third-place match, and the grand final. Previously, the World Championship was held once every four years in even-numbered years. Starting from 2025, it is now staged every two years, in odd-numbered ones.
The group stage delivered several shocks. Cuba and Japan, both considered favorites, fell short and finished third in their respective groups. France, the reigning Olympic champion, performed poorly, losing two of their three matches. Brazil, the former world champion and a perennial powerhouse, stumbled against Serbia in their decisive game and missed the playoffs altogether. Meanwhile, teams like Portugal, the Czech Republic, Canada, Belgium, and Finland managed to impress fans with their unexpected success.
The knockout phase produced several surprises. In the Round of 16, Serbia fell to Iran in a five-set thriller. In the quarterfinals, the United States took the first two sets against Bulgaria but completely lost momentum, allowing their rivals to make a comeback and clinch victory in the decisive fifth set. In the second semifinal, Poland was seen as a slight favorite against Italy. The Polish team has been on a strong run in recent years – silver medalists at both the 2022 World Championship and the Paris Olympics. In the Philippines, Poland had been nearly flawless, dropping just two sets in five matches. But when it mattered most, they faltered – the Italians fought back fiercely and won in straight sets (25:21, 25:22, 25:23).
In the bronze medal match, Poland comfortably defeated the Czech Republic (25:18, 23:25, 25:22, 25:21), securing their place on the podium. The final, held on September 28, featured Bulgaria against Italy. Odds from 1xBet clearly showed who was favored to win: 5.40 for Bulgaria and just 1.14 for Italy. The only question left for fans was whether the reigning champions would claim another title in straight sets.
Italy took the first two sets with confidence (25:21, 25:17), but Bulgaria managed to strike back in the third (25:17). However, in the fourth, the underdogs couldn’t keep up – Italy dominated 25:10 to close the match. Middle blocker Simone Anzani sealed the championship point with a thunderous spike before 20,000 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena. Alessandro Micheletto, who played a crucial role in that final rally, was named MVP of the tournament.
Italy successfully defended their title, becoming five-time World Champions and reaffirming their dominance in global volleyball. (PR)
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