Prepare for a historic showdown in women`s volleyball as two titans, Türkiye and Italy, face off for the gold medal in the 2025 FIVB Women`s World Championship. This highly anticipated final promises a thrilling contest between two of the sport`s most consistently dominant teams.
On one side stands Türkiye, the formidable reigning European champions. Their opponents, Italy, arrive as the current Olympic champions and winners of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League. Both teams have maintained undefeated streaks throughout the tournament in Thailand, setting the stage for these European powerhouses to decide who will claim the coveted world championship title. Notably, European nations have dominated this competition, winning five of the last six editions.
Italy boasts a strong legacy in the tournament, having previously won the title in 2002 and consistently medaling in recent editions, securing second place in Japan 2018 and third in Netherlands/Poland 2023. For Türkiye, this final marks a historic achievement, as they have already guaranteed their first-ever medal in the competition, surpassing their previous best finish of sixth place in 2010.
The rivalry between Türkiye and Italy has intensified significantly in recent years, particularly since Italian coach Daniele Santarelli took the helm of the `Sultans` in 2023. Under Santarelli`s guidance, Türkiye clinched the CEV EuroVolley Women title in 2023 and followed it with another triumph in the 2024 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League.
Despite Türkiye`s successes, this final presents Santarelli with perhaps his toughest challenge yet, as Italy arrives in phenomenal form. The Italian squad boasts an incredible 35-match winning streak in official competitions, with their last defeat occurring in June 2024 (2:3 against Brazil) during the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.
Within this impressive winning run, Italy has overcome Türkiye four times: a 3:1 victory in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, two dominant 3:0 wins at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and a narrow 3:2 triumph in the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League on July 12.
“This was a win driven by team spirit and sheer character,” reflected Ekaterina Antropova after their semi-final victory against Brazil, a match where Sarah Fahr and Alessia Orro sustained ankle injuries. “We truly played for one another, maintaining eye contact and offering unwavering support throughout every phase of the match. This collective attitude was crucial in securing a difficult win, exactly as we anticipated, and perhaps that`s why it felt so incredible to achieve.”
Türkiye, conversely, heavily depended on the stellar performance of Melissa Vargas, the MVP of the CEV EuroVolley Women 2023. Vargas delivered an outstanding 28 points in their semi-final comeback victory against Japan, a match where they initially dropped the first set 16:25.
Setter Cansu Özbay expressed her pride, stating, “We consistently leave our hearts on the court, and we once again demonstrated our true spirit. I am incredibly proud of this team. It feels surreal; I don`t think I can fully grasp what we`ve accomplished just yet. However, we`ll quickly put this match behind us and channel our focus entirely on the final.”
Currently, Melissa Vargas leads the competition in scoring with an impressive 119 points. Italy`s formidable Paola Egonu is also in peak form, having accumulated 107 points.
The grand final is scheduled to commence at 14:30 CEST in Bangkok. Prior to this, Brazil and Japan will compete for the bronze medal, following their respective losses in the semi-finals.
Finley Blackwood