Bulgaria celebrated its Independence Day in style by securing a coveted spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines. In the opening eighth-final match on Monday in Pasay City, the Bulgarian squad swept Portugal in straight sets, earning their place among the tournament`s top eight teams. Their quarterfinal adversary will be revealed later on Monday, following the outcome of the intense USA versus Slovenia clash, scheduled for 20:00 local time (12:00 UTC).
Bulgaria quickly established control in the first set, eventually winning 25-19, despite letting four set points slip before middle blocker Iliya Petkov delivered the final point. Portugal rallied in the second set, maintaining a competitive edge, but narrowly lost 25-23 when Bulgarian opposite Asparuh Asparuhov clinched the decisive point with a block. The southern European team proved unstoppable in the third set, completing a resounding 3-0 sweep (25-19, 25-23, 25-13) against their southwestern European opponents. The match concluded with a spectacular block from 21-year-old substitute middle Preslav Petkov.
The Bulgarians showcased superior net play, outperforming Portugal in offense with 37 spike kills to 23, and in defense with 11 kill blocks against Portugal`s 2. Star outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov, just 21 years old, was instrumental, producing a match-high 19 points through 17 spike kills at an impressive 55% success rate, one ace, and one block.
“I am feeling great! I am lost for words a little bit. We are in the top eight! I am super happy we get a chance to go ahead in the tournament. I am super proud and I am super happy, and I hope we can keep it going,” Aleks Nikolov told VBTV after the match. “We were confident. We are gaining confidence with each game, with each set, with each point… And it is key to winning some big games like this one today. We definitely feel the attention of fans and media and it`s nice, but this is on the second level. The first and most important thing is how we play volleyball and to win, which so far is working, so I am happy.”
Portugal, despite the loss, demonstrated a strong performance from the serving line, registering 6 aces compared to Bulgaria`s 4. They also committed slightly fewer unforced errors (23-24). Outside hitter Lourenco Martins was a notable contributor, making three aces, one kill block, and leading his team with a total of 10 points.
Portugal’s star captain, Alexandre Ferreira, expressed his pride in the team: “Personally, I am super proud of my team. Although I couldn’t help much during this tournament, I am really super proud of what we have done; what they have done… It was the first World Championship for most of us. A lot of young players playing for the first time at an arena like this, in front of amazing fans like this and arriving to this phase, playing against an amazing Bulgaria, makes me really, really proud of this team.” Reflecting on their journey, he added: “When we came here and we played our first game against Cuba, 90 per cent of people didn’t believe that we could beat them. But we got here and we won. Today was the same spirit, the same vibe, the same why-not attitude – we are going to push, we are going to try… That second set was close and maybe, if we had won it, it could have made the difference.”
Match Highlights: Bulgaria vs. Portugal – Men`s World Championship
You can find match highlights and other tournament information through official channels.
Oliver Wrenwick