Volleyball
The Italian national team successfully defended its world champion title, demonstrating flawless play throughout the knockout stage of the 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball World Championship and concluding the tournament with a confident 3:1 victory over Bulgaria in the final match.
This victory marked Italy`s second consecutive and fifth overall world title, adding to their previous triumphs in 1990, 1994, 1998, and 2022. Italy now stands just one title shy of the most decorated team in history, the Soviet Union, which claimed the trophy six times.
Photo credit: Volleyball World
Italy once again showcased its resilience in this match, echoing their performance just a day prior when they mounted comebacks in all three sets of the semi-final against Poland. In the final, Bulgaria initially held a two-point lead midway through the first set, but Italy responded with five consecutive points to clinch the opening set 25:21.
Five consecutive aces from Yuri Romanò – another fantastic showing from the opposite hitter who earned a spot on the All-Star team – proved to be the pivotal moment of the second set. Italy confidently secured it 25:17, moving closer to victory.
Nevertheless, Bulgaria, a young team with limited experience, managed to rally, securing the third set 25:17, propelled by another outstanding performance from outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov. He was also named to the All-Star team, scoring an impressive 23 points in this match alone.
Nikolov, who was the competition`s top scorer, was unable to make an impact in the fourth set, where Italy dominated from start to finish. Their superstar core, featuring Simone Giannelli, MVP Alessandro Michieletto, and Romanò, played near-perfectly, securing a 25:10 victory and the world title.
Just a week after their 2:3 loss to Belgium in the preliminary round, Italy rebounded with five consecutive wins, dropping only one set en route to clinching their fifth world title. The European powerhouse boasted four players in the All-Star Team: MVP Michieletto, setter Giannelli, opposite Romanò, and libero Fabio Balaso.
In the bronze medal match, Poland secured a place on the podium with a 3:1 victory over Czechia.
Photo credit: Volleyball World
2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship – All-Star Team
- MVP: Alessandro Michieletto (Italy)
- Setter: Simone Giannelli (Italy)
- Opposite: Yuri Romanò (Italy)
- Outside Hitters: Alessandro Michieletto (Italy) and Aleksandar Nikolov (Bulgaria)
- Middle Blockers: Aleks Grozdanov (Bulgaria) and Jakub Kochanowski (Poland)
- Libero: Fabio Balaso (Italy)
Finley Blackwood