Four European nations have secured their spots in the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, guaranteeing that the prestigious world title will remain within Europe for the fourth consecutive tournament.
Volleyball giants Poland and Italy are set to clash in the second semifinal, while Czechia and Bulgaria, considered the tournament`s dark horses, have also reached this pivotal stage. Both semifinals are slated for Saturday, September 26, in Pasay City, Philippines.
Poland vs. Italy: A Rematch of Epic Proportions
Intriguingly, the Poland-Italy semifinal will revisit their CEV EuroVolley 2023 Men final encounter, where Poland decisively claimed their second continental title with a dominant 3:0 victory.
Conversely, Italy is vying for its second consecutive world championship and fifth overall, a feat that would echo Poland`s back-to-back triumphs in 2014 and 2018. This semifinal also serves as a rerun of the most recent FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship final, where Italy defeated Poland 3:1.
Poland has had a near-perfect run, dropping only two sets—one in the preliminary stage and another against Canada in the Round of 16—before swiftly defeating Türkiye 3:0. Italy, despite a 2:3 preliminary round loss to Belgium, showcased commanding performances in the knockout phase, sweeping both Argentina and Belgium in straight sets.
“Our goal is to go deep into this tournament, and I hope we can deliver a semifinal performance against Poland similar to our strong showing today against Belgium,” commented Roberto Russo.
Photo credit: Volleyball World
Earlier in 2025, Italy and Poland clashed twice in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League; Italy secured a 3:2 victory in the league phase, but Poland claimed the title by winning the final 3:0.
Wilfredo Leon, Poland`s star player and MVP of CEV EuroVolley 2023 Men, stated, “Playing against Italy is always a highlight. I hope we can deliver an amazing match for volleyball fans globally.”
Czechia vs. Bulgaria: The Surprise Semifinalists
Few anticipated Czechia and Bulgaria would contend for a spot in the final, yet both teams find themselves in a historic tournament run.
Since their bronze medal win in 2006, Bulgaria`s only other top-10 finish was seventh in 2010. Now, they have an opportunity to reach their second-ever final, having previously secured silver in 1970 as hosts.
Bulgaria has maintained an impeccable record so far, winning all five of their matches. They demonstrated remarkable resilience in their quarter-final against the USA, rallying from a two-set deficit to win the decisive fifth set 15:13, thereby advancing to the semifinals.
Bulgaria’s Moni Nikolov told Volleyball World, “Our belief has always been, and will always be, unwavering, regardless of the score. We operate as a family, fighting like brothers and loving each other, giving us no reason to surrender. We can only gain from this experience. When the final point was scored, I just wanted to fall to my knees and savor the indescribable feeling. I hope we can relive that sensation in a few days. This is precisely what we train for.”
Aleks Nikolov of Bulgaria stands as the tournament`s leading scorer, having contributed 29 points against the USA, bringing his total for this World Championship to an impressive 119 points.
Meanwhile, Czechia is also pursuing its first-ever final appearance, participating in the competition for the first time since 2010. Their best previous finish as Czechia was 10th place, but after advancing to the knockout rounds as second in their pool, they have shown exceptional form.
They secured victories against Tunisia (3:0) and the Islamic Republic of Iran (3:1) to reach the semifinals, marking a remarkable achievement for a team that placed 12th in the most recent CEV EuroVolley.
Historically, Bulgaria has won three of their last four head-to-head matches, though their most recent competitive encounter was at CEV EuroVolley 2021.
Finley Blackwood