Finland was the sole team to finish the pool stage undefeated at the 2025 FIVB Boys’ U19 Volleyball World Championship, concluding their flawless run with a four-set victory against Colombia on Tuesday. This marked the end of the preliminary group matches held at Yunnusobod Hall and the Sport University Center in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Although three teams began the day without a loss, only Finland preserved their perfect streak. Pakistan and Bulgaria both suffered their initial defeats, setting the stage for an unpredictable knockout phase starting Thursday.
Finland`s Undefeated Run
Colombia initially surprised Finland by winning the first set 25-22, challenging the last remaining unbeaten team. However, Finland quickly recovered, driven by strong attacking performances from outside hitters Matias Siika-Aho and Viktor Viljamaa. They secured the second set 25-21 and dominated the third 25-15. Colombia, led by Maicol Isaac Ortiz Castañeda, put up a determined fight in the fourth set, but Finland ultimately sealed the win 25-21.
This 3-1 victory (22-25, 25-21, 25-15, 25-21) marked Finland’s fifth consecutive win, securing their position as the top seed in Pool D. Versanen, with a late scoring surge, and Siika-Aho both contributed 15 points, while Viljamaa added 12. Ortiz was Colombia`s top scorer with 23 points.
Versanen expressed his excitement, stating, “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.” He also noted, “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 Key Match Results
Pool D Highlights
In other Pool D action, the United States concluded their group stage with a 3-1 victory (25-27, 28-26, 25-22, 25-19) against Korea, achieving three wins overall. The U.S. excelled at the net, recording an impressive 20-2 blocking advantage and outscoring Korea 52-44 in attacks. Grant Lamoreux led with 20 points, while Roman Payne contributed 14 points and five blocks, matching Lamoreux and William Dryden`s block count. Im Sehoon, Korea`s captain, was their top performer with 15 points.
Brazil secured their third win by sweeping Cuba 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-23). Lucas Righi was Brazil`s leading scorer with 13 points, as his team played a tidy match, making only 16 errors compared to Cuba’s 32. For Cuba, Alessandro Gonzalez Fuentes scored 20 points, supported by Samuel Alejandro Rodriguez Naquid with 10.
Pool A Highlights
In Pool A, Argentina delivered Pakistan their first defeat of the championship in a 3-2 thriller (24-26, 25-18, 25-21, 16-25, 15-11). Argentina capitalized on superior efficiency in attack, blocks, and serves. Mauro Danilo Gay and Federico Javier Debonis spearheaded Argentina`s offense with 20 and 19 points, respectively. Despite the loss, Pakistan still topped Pool A with a 4-1 record, thanks to Muhammad Yahya`s 23 points.
Türkiye concluded their tournament journey with their inaugural win, sweeping Puerto Rico 3-0 (25-20, 28-26, 25-22). Ata Ünver led Türkiye with 13 points, complemented by 12 points each from Berk Senturk and Abdulvahap Han. Although Puerto Rico demonstrated stronger net defense, they were outmatched in attacking and serving.
Belgium secured their fourth victory by defeating host nation Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-14, 25-16, 25-18). Jannes Strobbe topped the scoring with 14 points, while Guilhem Hubert and Daan Vermarien each contributed 11. Shokhboz Mamayusufov was Kazakhstan`s highest scorer with nine points.
Pool B Highlights
In Pool B, France delivered a decisive blow to previously undefeated Bulgaria, sweeping them 3-0 (25-18, 27-25, 25-19) and inflicting their first loss. France excelled across all statistics, notably achieving a 6-0 advantage in aces. Andrej Jokanovic led France with 11 points, and their defense effectively contained Bulgaria’s main attackers, Nikolay Nikolaev and Deyan Marinov, limiting them to eight points each.
Japan clinched fourth place in their group by defeating Algeria 3-0 (25-18, 25-21, 25-18). Karen Masajedi scored 12 points, with support from Yusei Sakiyama and Sowa Maeda. Japan’s superior attacking efficiency and fewer errors were key to their win.
China concluded their pool stage with a commanding 3-0 victory (25-20, 25-17, 25-13) over Canada, excelling in all aspects of play. Ding Haocheng led with 16 points, and Hu Hanlin added 10. Tyson Dezutter was Canada`s standout player, contributing 14 points through attacks.
Pool C Highlights
In Pool C, Poland achieved a 3-0 victory (26-24, 25-17, 25-21) against Egypt, spearheaded by Maksymilian Lyson’s 17 points and Tymoteusz Lenik’s seven blocks. This formidable combination helped restrict Egypt’s Ahmed Amer to 12 points.
Spain rebounded from their defeat against Italy with a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-19, 25-20) over Tunisia. Gerard Rejon and Diego Kunda contributed 12 and 10 points, respectively, as Spain ensured Tunisia remained winless in the group stage.
Italy maintained their strong performance with a 3-1 victory (25-16, 28-26, 24-26, 25-17) against Iran. The European team demonstrated resilience in closely contested sets, with four players reaching double-digit scores. While Iran’s Mohammad Amin and Amir Naderi scored 19 and 16 points respectively, Italy’s balanced team play and efficient execution ultimately prevailed.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood