The highly anticipated 2025 FIVB U21 Beach Volleyball World Championships, hosted in the state of Puebla, Mexico, is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, October 15.
The 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball U21 World Championships are poised to begin this Wednesday, October 15, in Cholula, Puebla, Mexico. Many former age-group world champions are returning, eager to reclaim their glory. With over 90 duos from 50 federations across all five continental confederations registered, young talents will vie for global recognition until Sunday, October 19. The stunning backdrop of the active Popocatepetl volcano will add a dramatic flair to their efforts.
Tournament Structure
The tournament format sees 28 pairs in each gender directly seeded into Thursday`s 32-team main draw. Wednesday will host three qualification rounds to determine the remaining main draw spots. In the main draw, 32 pairs per gender will be divided into eight round-robin pools. Pool winners will progress directly to the eighthfinals. Second and third-placed teams will compete in a sixteenthfinal round for a chance to advance. The eighthfinals and quarterfinals are set for Saturday, culminating in the semifinals and medal matches on Sunday.
Men`s Competition Highlights
In the men`s draw, Latvian duo Gustavs Auzins and Kristians Fokerots are prominent figures, having won the U19 world title in 2022, and European U18 and U20 championships in 2022 and 2024 respectively. Fokerots, 20, is also ranked eighth globally in the senior FIVB Beach Volleyball World Ranking with his usual partner, Martins Plavins. Polish U19 world champions from last year, Jakub Krzeminski and Szymon Pietraszek, will also be competing, starting their U21 campaign in the qualifiers. AmirAli GhalehNovi of Iran, a 2024 U19 World Championship bronze medalist, is set to play alongside Habib Naseri. Several other athletes recognized for their senior Beach Pro Tour performances, including Switzerland’s Julian Friedli, Norway’s Even Stray Aas, and Brazil’s Henrique Camboim, are also participating. Representing the host nation are Antonio Lares and Carlos Andres Ayala, who placed fourth at the U19 World Championship last year. They`ve had a strong season on the senior NORCECA Beach Volleyball Tour, earning four medals, and recently impressed at the Veracruz Challenge. They are also preparing for the senior FIVB World Championships in Adelaide next month.
Women`s Competition Highlights
Among the women, Switzerland`s Leona Kernen stands out. A U21 World Championship bronze medalist in 2021 and silver medalist in 2023, Kernen aims for gold in Mexico with new partner Muriel Bossart, with whom she has earned two golds and one silver at European age-group championships. Kernen has also been chosen by Olympic bronze medalist Tanja Huberli as her new teammate, with both heading to the senior FIVB World Championships in Adelaide. The women`s competition also includes U19 World Championship medalists: Spain’s Sofia Izuzquiza (2024 runner-up) will play with Adriana Serrano, and USA`s Sally Perez and Sarah Wood (2024 bronze medalists) will compete with new partners, Avery Jackson and Zoey Henson, respectively. Canada`s Ruby Sorra, a 2022 bronze medalist, seeks another medal, partnering with Ofure Odigie. Other teams to watch include Czech twins Anna and Katerina Pavelkova, who boast four age-group European Championship medals (two gold) and three Beach Pro Tour medals this season. Austrian U18 European champions Lia Berger & Lilli Hohenauer, also two-time U20 continental bronze medalists, and French duo Saofe Duval & Romane Sobezalz, two-time continental age-group bronze medalists, are also strong contenders. Poland’s Julia Radelczuk, the current U20 European champion, will pursue the U21 world title alongside Natalia Okla.
Championship History and Legacy
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the junior Beach Volleyball World Championships, an event that began in France in 2001. Mexico is making its debut as host, and this is the third time the tournament takes place in NORCECA territory, following Canada`s hosting duties in 2011 and 2012. Historically, Brazil dominates the medal standings with nine women`s and seven men`s titles. Notable past U21 champions who later became Olympic gold medalists include Sweden’s David Ahman & Jonatan Hellvig and Brazil’s Ana Patricia Ramos & Eduarda Santos Lisboa (Duda). The prestigious roster of former U21 winners also features many other celebrated names in beach volleyball, such as Brazilians Taiana Lima, Juliana Silva, Carol Solberg, Barbara Seixas, Pedro Solberg, Bruno Schmidt, Gustavo Carvalhaes (Guto), George Wanderley, Arthur Mariano Lanci; Swiss players Nina Brunner, Joana Heidrich, Anouk Verge-Depre; Poles Bartosz Losiak, Piotr Kantor, Michal Bryl; Spaniards Raul Mesa, Pablo Herrera; Latvians Martins Plavins, Aleksandrs Samoilovs; and Italy’s Paolo Nicolai, Netherlands’ Marleen Van Iersel, Canada’s Samuel Schachter, and Ukraine’s Sergiy Popov.
Oliver Wrenwick