Poland will welcome France in a highly anticipated showdown on the final day of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase.
The third and conclusive week of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase in Gdańsk promises an electrifying atmosphere, with the highlight being a rematch of last year`s Paris Olympics gold medal final between powerhouse teams Poland and France.
Beyond these two European rivals, the popular Ergo Arena will also host Bulgaria, China, Cuba, and Iran from Wednesday to Sunday. This crucial week will determine the eight teams that advance to the VNL Finals and the one team facing relegation from the league.
The highly anticipated clash between Poland and France, their first since the Paris Arena last August, is scheduled as the final match of the 12 games in Gdańsk. It will take place on Sunday at 20:30 local time (18:30 GMT). While France benefited from home-court advantage to claim gold last year, this time, Poland will have the fervent support of their home crowd.
The VNL action in Gdańsk kicks off on Wednesday with a triple-header: China versus France at 13:00 (11:00 GMT), followed by Bulgaria against Cuba at 16:30 (14:30 GMT), and Iran battling Poland at 20:00 (18:00 GMT).
Gdańsk Week 3 Schedule
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Wednesday:
- China vs. France (13:00 local time / 11:00 GMT)
- Bulgaria vs. Cuba (16:30 local time / 14:30 GMT)
- Iran vs. Poland (20:00 local time / 18:00 GMT)
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Thursday:
- China vs. Iran (16:30 local time / 14:30 GMT)
- Cuba vs. Poland (20:00 local time / 18:00 GMT)
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Friday:
- Cuba vs. France (16:30 local time / 14:30 GMT)
- China vs. Bulgaria (20:00 local time / 18:00 GMT)
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Saturday:
- Bulgaria vs. Poland (16:30 local time / 14:30 GMT)
- Iran vs. France (20:00 local time / 18:00 GMT)
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Sunday:
- China vs. Cuba (13:30 local time / 11:30 GMT)
- Bulgaria vs. Iran (17:00 local time / 15:00 GMT)
- Poland vs. France (20:30 local time / 18:30 GMT)
Teams in Contention
Poland Aims for Top Spot
Poland, currently sitting in second place in the VNL standings with six wins and 18 points, enters the week firmly within the qualification zone for the Finals. The European squad is not only focused on securing their spot in the Finals, set to be held in Ningbo, Chiba, from July 30 to August 3, but also on challenging Brazil (seven wins, 20 points) for the leading position. Artur Szalpuk leads the team`s scoring with 98 points. This week, Poland`s offensive power will be significantly boosted by the addition of outside hitters Wilfredo Leon and Tomasz Fornal, alongside middle blocker Jakub Kochanowski.
“Playing at home is an amazing feeling for us. Being in the Polish national team and being able to play in front of fans like the ones we have is a big privilege. The fans are always on our side, and they give us wings. We get more confident in our play, and we see our fans as a seventh player on the court for us.”
— Aleksander Śliwka, Outside Hitter for Poland
Defending Champions France
France, the reigning champions, are in a strong position to qualify for the Finals, currently ranked fifth with five wins and 15 points. Olympic champion opposite Théo Faure is a standout performer, ranking third overall in the VNL with 137 points and 14 aces. Other vital contributors to the French campaign include middle blocker François Huetz (second in blocks with 26), setter Amir Tizi-Oualou (third-best setter with 200 actions), and libero Benjamin Diez (sixth in passes with 45). The team in Gdańsk will also see the return of key players like setter Benjamin Toniutti, libero Jenia Grebennikov, opposite Jean Patry, and middle blocker Nicolas Le Goff.
Cuba`s Push for the Finals
Currently ninth in the standings with four wins and 13 points, Cuba arrives in Gdańsk determined to qualify for the Finals. Their hopes heavily rely on the continued stellar performance of star outside hitter Marlon Yant, who ranks second in the entire VNL with 149 points. Libero Yonder Garcia, third in both digs (62) and passes (57), is also a key player in his position. The Cuban squad will be significantly bolstered by the important addition of star middle blocker Robertlandy Simón.
“We`ll have a difficult week here. But we`ll try to do our best, as usual, and fight until the end. We may win or lose, but we give everything we have when we`re on the court. If we have this, we can do it.”
— Robertlandy Simón, Middle Blocker for Cuba
Iran Among Contenders
Iran, right behind Cuba in tenth place with four victories and 12 points, is also a strong contender for a Finals spot. Star opposite Amin Esmaeilnezhad leads their scoring with 100 points, while outside hitter Poriya Hossein Khanzadeh is the top server in the VNL, having delivered 15 aces so far.
“This first year with coach (Roberto) Piazza has been very important for us. We managed to take several steps forward in our game, and I think he`s going to help us a lot over the years. We have young players in our squad and we can play a lot better than we did so far.”
— Amin Esmaeilnezhad, Opposite Hitter for Iran
Bulgaria`s Challenging Road
Bulgaria, the 11th-ranked team in the VNL 2025 with four wins and 11 points, is still in the mix for a Finals berth, though their task became more challenging after star setter Simeon Nikolov sustained an injury in the second week. His older brother, outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov, is the team’s leading scorer with 132 points.
“We had some good moments in the VNL when we got to play as a team. We supported each other and kept a good spirit on the court. But we`re a very young team, and sometimes we lose focus, which has been our main problem. Last week, we had a tough match against Türkiye, and after our setter went down injured, we lost our focus entirely, which can`t happen.”
— Aleks Grozdanov, Middle Blocker for Bulgaria
Host Nation China Prepares for Finals
China is the lowest-ranked team competing in Gdańsk this week, at 15th place with two wins and seven points. However, they are already guaranteed a spot in the Finals as the host country. The Asian team aims to build momentum this week in Poland. Opposites Chuan Jiang and Zihua Wen, along with outside hitter Yuantai Yu, are their leading scorers with 60 points each. Middle blocker Yongzhen Li is third in the VNL in blocks, with 23.
“Playing here this week will serve as great preparation for us. We`ve been using the same roster since the start of the VNL and that has helped our development as we understand each other better on the court. We`ll try our best to win all the matches this week.”
— Yongzhen Li, Middle Blocker for China
The third and final week of the VNL Preliminary Phase will also feature matches in Chiba, Japan, where hosts Japan, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Türkiye, and the United States will compete. Concurrently, Ljubljana will host Slovenia, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Ukraine.
Oliver Wrenwick 
Jasper Thornfield