Pakistan and Bulgaria faced their first defeats as the group stage of the Boys’ U19 World Championship concluded.
Finland stood out as the only team to complete the group stage of the 2025 FIVB Boys’ U19 Volleyball World Championship without a single loss. They sealed their perfect run with a four-set triumph over Colombia on Tuesday. This decisive victory marked the conclusion of the preliminary rounds, which took place across Yunnusobod Hall and the Sport University Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Although three teams entered the day with undefeated records, only Finland managed to maintain their perfect streak. Both Pakistan and Bulgaria suffered their first losses, setting the stage for an unpredictable and thrilling knockout phase set to begin on Thursday.
Finland`s Key Match
Colombia initially caught Finland off guard, winning the first set 25-22 and putting pressure on the tournament`s last unbeaten team. However, the Finns quickly regrouped, relying on the consistent offensive contributions from outside hitters Matias Siika-Aho and Viktor Viljamaa. They turned the match around by winning the second set 25-21 and dominating the third with a 25-15 score. Despite a strong challenge from Colombia in the fourth set, led by Maicol Isaac Ortiz Castañeda, Finland closed out the match 25-21.
Finland`s 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-21) secured their fifth consecutive win and the top seed from Pool D. Versanen, who had a late scoring surge, finished with 15 points, matching Siika-Aho`s contribution, while Viljamaa added 12 points. Ortiz was Colombia`s leading scorer with 23 points.
“It feels amazing because Finland has never won this many games and we have zero losses. We are making history now and we just keep going. Honestly, I didn’t expect this before the tournament. We came here just to challenge, but now it’s really surprising me,” Versanen commented. He added, “Today Colombia played very well and took the first set, but after that we stopped making mistakes and kept the ball alive. That gave us better chances because they started making the errors instead. Having our families here is a very good thing. They give us so much energy after every point and it really helps us.”
Other Pool D Matches
Elsewhere in Pool D, the United States concluded their pool campaign with a 3-1 victory (25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 25-19) over Korea, securing three wins in total. The Americans excelled at the net with a significant 20-2 blocking advantage and outscored their opponents 52-44 in attacks. Grant Lamoreux led with 20 points, supported by Roman Payne who added 14 points and matched Lamoreux and William Dryden with five blocks each. Korea`s captain, Im Sehoon, was a standout performer in the loss with 15 points.
Brazil secured their third win by sweeping Cuba 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-23). Lucas Righi led the scoring with 13 points, as Brazil played a clean match, making only 16 errors compared to Cuba’s 32. Alessandro Gonzalez Fuentes scored 20 points for Cuba, with Samuel Alejandro Rodriguez Naquid contributing 10.
Pool A Highlights
In Pool A, Argentina handed Pakistan their first defeat of the tournament with a thrilling 3-2 victory (24-26, 25-18, 25-21, 16-25, 15-11). Argentina capitalized on slightly better efficiency in attack, blocks, and serves. Mauro Danilo Gay and Federico Javier Debonis led the Argentine offense with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Muhammad Yahya scored 23 for Pakistan, who despite the loss, still topped Pool A with a 4-1 record.
Türkiye ended their campaign with their first victory, sweeping Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-22). Ata Ünver paced the Turkish side with 13 points, while Berk Senturk and Abdulvahap Han added 12 each. Despite better net defense, Puerto Rico lacked the same attacking and serving prowess.
Belgium earned their fourth win by beating hosts Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-18). Jannes Strobbe led with 14 points, followed by Guilhem Hubert and Daan Vermarien with 11 each. Kazakhstan’s Shokhboz Mamayusufov scored nine points.
Pool B Round-up
In Pool B, France delivered a strong performance against previously unbeaten Bulgaria, sweeping them 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-19) to inflict their first loss. France dominated across all statistical categories, including a notable 6-0 advantage in aces. Andrej Jokanovic scored 11 points, while the French defense effectively limited Bulgaria’s top attackers, Nikolay Nikolaev and Deyan Marinov, to eight points apiece.
Japan secured fourth place in their group with a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-21, 25-18) against Algeria. Karen Masajedi led with 12 points, supported by Yusei Sakiyama and Sowa Maeda. Japan’s cleaner attacking and reduced errors contributed to their decisive win.
China capped their pool stage with a commanding 3-0 win (25-20, 25-17, 25-13) over Canada, dominating in all skills. Ding Haocheng led the team with 16 points, while Hu Hanlin added 10. Canada’s Tyson Dezutter was their only prominent player, scoring 14 points from attack.
Pool C Overview
In Pool C, Poland secured a 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-17, 25-21) over Egypt. Maksymilian Lyson was a key player with 17 points, supported by Tymoteusz Lenik who contributed seven blocks. Their strong combined effort helped limit Egypt’s Ahmed Amer to 12 points.
Spain bounced back from their loss to Italy with a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-19, 25-20) over Tunisia. Gerard Rejon and Diego Kunda scored 12 and 10 points respectively, as Spain ensured Tunisia remained winless in pool play.
Italy continued their strong momentum with a 3-1 victory (25-16, 28-26, 24-26, 25-17) over Iran. The European side displayed resilience in closely contested sets, with four players scoring in double digits. While Iran’s Mohammad Amin and Amir Naderi scored 19 and 16 points, they were outmatched by Italy’s balanced team effort and efficient execution.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick