Reigning champions Italy and Belgium are set for a quarterfinal showdown at the 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball World Championship, reigniting their rivalry on Wednesday. The two teams previously met in a Pool F clash last Tuesday, where Belgium triumphed with a hard-fought 3-2 victory, ultimately securing the top spot in their group undefeated with eight points. Italy finished closely behind in second place, accumulating seven points from a 2-1 win-loss record.
Both nations successfully navigated to the Round of 16. On Sunday, Italy emphatically demonstrated why they remain strong contenders to defend their world title, executing a decisive 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) sweep against Argentina at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Italy Dominates Argentina, Secures Quarterfinal Spot
Italy continued its impressive campaign to retain the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship title in the Philippines. In Sunday`s first eighth-final match in Pasay City, the Italian squad proved too formidable for a resilient Argentina, securing a straight-sets victory.
During the first set, Italy staged multiple comebacks from three-point deficits before narrowly clinching the set. They maintained control for the majority of the second set, doubling their lead, with both sets remarkably concluded by stellar attacks from Italy`s star setter and captain, Simone Giannelli. Argentina fiercely contested the third set, keeping the score level at 20-20. However, a spectacular sequence of three consecutive aces by opposite Yuri Romano propelled Italy to match point. Three rallies later, outside hitter Mattia Bottolo sealed a 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-22) victory with an elegant two-handed block-out move.
Belgium also delivered a brilliant performance against Finland, overcoming an initial slow start to record a convincing 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21) win and earning their spot in the quarterfinals. This achievement marks the first time in 55 years that the “Red Dragons” have advanced to this stage of the competition.
Red Dragons Fly High with Straight-Sets Victory Over Finland
Belgium has reached the top eight of an FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship for the first time in 55 years! Their previous best result in the competition was an eighth-place finish in 1970. Now, at Philippines 2025, they are guaranteed to at least match that feat. On Sunday in Pasay City, the Red Dragons decisively defeated Finland in the fourth eighth-final match. They are now set to face Italy once more – a team they bested in the pool stage – in one of the quarterfinal clashes scheduled for Wednesday, September 24.
In the first set, Belgium erased a four-point lead held by Finland, then surged ahead with four consecutive points during crunch time to take the set, secured by a successful swing from outside hitter Mathijs Desmet. The Western European team largely controlled the scoreboard throughout the second set, extending their lead, with Desmet again closing the set, this time with a powerful overpass kill. While the Northern Europeans managed to catch up with Belgium multiple times in the third set, the Red Dragons generally held their ground until 22-year-old opposite Ferre Reggers concluded the match with a block-out hit, initiating celebrations for Belgium with a final score of 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-21).
Italian coach Emanuele Zanini has been at the helm of the Belgian team since 2022, a partnership that stems from a $189,000 FIVB Empowerment Programme Coach Support project launched in 2019.
Two more Round of 16 matches are scheduled for Monday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. Bulgaria will face the tournament`s surprise team, Portugal, at 15:30 local time (07:30 UTC), followed by the undefeated USA squaring off against Slovenia in the second game at 20:00 local time (12:00 UTC). The competition will continue in a single-elimination format through the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, culminating in the crowning of the new world champion.
Finley Blackwood 
Oliver Wrenwick