The second day of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men`s World Championship unfolded on Saturday in the Philippines, featuring eight matches across two venues: the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City and the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. The day was marked by several significant outcomes, including surprising upsets, a historic set score, and strong performances from top-ranked teams.
Key highlights from Day 2 included Portugal`s impressive 3-1 victory over Cuba, Libya managing to win a set against Canada, and Bulgaria setting a new World Championship record with an epic 40-38 set score. Additionally, Türkiye delivered a clean straight-sets sweep against Japan, causing a notable loss of nearly 21 World Ranking points for the Japanese team.
Meanwhile, major contenders and current Volleyball Nations League (VNL) champions—Poland, USA, Slovenia, and the Netherlands—all lived up to their favored status by comfortably securing wins in their opening matches.
Portugal Secures First World Championship Win in 23 Years
In a stunning upset, Portugal defeated Cuba in their opening game of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. Playing a Pool D match in Pasay City, the European squad mounted a comeback after losing the first set, triumphing over their Caribbean rivals in four sets. This victory marked Portugal`s first win at a World Championship in nearly 23 years.
Led by 22-year-old outside hitter Nuno Marques, who scored a match-high 19 points, the world’s number 29 team achieved a 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19) victory against Cuba, who are ranked number 10 in the FIVB World Ranking.
Türkiye Stuns Japan in Straight Sets
Türkiye delivered a shocking straight-sets defeat to Japan in their inaugural game at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. This Pool G encounter took place in Quezon City on Saturday.
Ranked 16th globally, Türkiye pulled off a significant 3-0 (25-19, 25-23, 25-19) upset against Japan, the world`s fifth-ranked team. This win was Türkiye`s first against Japan since 2016.
Captain Christenson Guides USA to Opening Victory Against Colombia
Returning to the USA men’s national team after his absence during the Volleyball Nations League, captain Micah Christenson spearheaded the Americans to a decisive opening-match victory at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Saturday in the Philippines.
Under the leadership of their star setter, the American team launched their tournament campaign with a strong 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-14) win over debutants Colombia at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Vernon-Evans` Return Helps Canada Avoid Libya Upset
Sharone Vernon-Evans, playing his first match with the Canadian national team in four years since the Tokyo Olympics, proved to be a crucial asset. His presence helped the North Americans stave off what could have been a major upset, ensuring a strong start to their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship campaign on Saturday.
Facing Libya, who were making their World Championship return after a 45-year hiatus, Canada initially dropped the first set at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Pasay City. However, they recovered to triumph 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-12, 29-27) in their Pool G opening match.
Nikolov Brothers Lead Bulgaria to Victory Over Germany
Bulgaria commenced their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship journey in the Philippines with a win. In a Pool E match against Germany in Pasay City on Saturday, they secured a hard-fought first set and went on to sweep the match in straight sets.
Despite numerous unforced errors, particularly from the service line in the first set, Bulgaria recovered from a six-point deficit, pushing the set into an extended overtime. After a tense exchange of set points, Bulgaria ultimately closed the set with an astonishing 40-38 score. Riding this momentum and significantly reducing their errors, the Southern European team celebrated a 3-0 (40-38, 25-22, 25-20) victory.
Netherlands Overcome Resilient Qatar
The Netherlands secured three points from their Pool B opening match at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines. In Quezon City on Saturday, the Dutch team overcame a determined Qatar to claim victory in four sets.
Dominating primarily with their serving, the Netherlands achieved a 3-1 (25-18, 25-23, 26-28, 25-23) win against Qatar, who put up a strong challenge in each of the four sets.
Slovenia Dominates Chile in Opening Match
Slovenia, ranked as the sixth-best team in the FIVB World Ranking, enjoyed a promising start to their 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship campaign. They comfortably defeated Chile in straight sets at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City during their debut on Saturday.
As a rising force in international volleyball, the Slovenians maintained control of the match from beginning to end, leveraging their extensive experience at the top level to sweep the Chileans 3-0 (25-19, 25-20, 25-16) in the day`s final match at the stadium.
World Ranking Leaders Poland Survive Slow Start Against Romania
FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland narrowly avoided dropping their first set at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. However, they quickly regrouped and built momentum to sweep Romania in the final match of Saturday’s schedule in the Philippines.
The European teams met at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. After an intense and fiercely contested first set, the Polish team found their rhythm and proceeded to win 3-0 (34-32, 25-15, 25-19), marking their first step towards potentially securing their fourth world title.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood