Despite an early setback, the South American powerhouse Brazil rallied to defeat China, securing a crucial three points in their opening match in Pasay City.
Brazil, a three-time world champion in men`s volleyball, faced a challenging start to their 2025 FIVB Men`s World Championship campaign on Sunday. After dropping the first set, they mounted a strong comeback to defeat China, earning their first tournament victory and all three available points.
The match, held at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, saw China begin with impressive momentum. However, the South American squad gradually found their rhythm, ultimately securing a significant 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-22, 25-21) win. This exciting encounter concluded the third day of competition in the Philippines.
This four-set triumph positions Brazil with three points in the Pool H standings. Czechia also holds three points after an earlier upset victory over Serbia with a 3-0 (25-22, 25-23, 25-20) score. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the knockout stages.
Artur Bento, the young outside hitter, led Brazil`s scoring with an impressive 17 points, comprising 15 kills, one block, and one ace. Middle blocker Judson Nunes also had a strong performance with 14 points (ten kills, four blocks), while opposite Alan de Souza contributed 13 points (12 kills, one block). Veteran outside hitter Ricardo Lucarelli and middle blocker Flávio Gualberto rounded out the double-digit scorers with ten points each.
“It was a fantastic start to the tournament,” Lucarelli commented. “The match proved quite challenging. China implemented several different strategies compared to our previous encounters in the Volleyball Nations League, and it took us some time to understand and adapt. We didn`t perform at our usual level initially, but as our serving improved, we grew more comfortable and began to execute our desired game plan.”
For China, middle blocker Peng Shikun emerged as their top scorer with 12 points, tallying eight kills, three blocks, and one ace. Outside hitter Liu Libin followed closely with ten points from eight kills, one block, and one ace.
“It`s unfortunate we couldn`t secure the win today, as I believe we played well,” Shikun expressed. “Some sets were very close, but we couldn`t clinch them. Playing against Brazil is always an enriching experience because of their high caliber, and I always learn a great deal.”
Brazil`s superior offensive execution was a key factor in their victory, as they outscored China significantly in kills, 62 to 44. They also held an advantage in blocks (nine to eight). However, China outperformed them in aces (five to one) and Brazil committed more errors (34 to China`s 22).
2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship: Upcoming Matches
Pool H action is set to resume on Tuesday with the second-round fixtures. Brazil will face Czechia first at 10:00 local time (2:00 GMT), followed by Serbia and China at 21:00 (13:00 GMT).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick