Knockout Bracket Set for Men’s World Championship Eighthfinals

With the conclusion of the pool phase at the 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines, the complete lineup for the eight eighthfinal matchups has been finalized, and the knockout bracket leading to the coveted trophy is now fully set. Sixteen teams have concluded their journey and are heading home, while the remaining sixteen converge in Pasay City to continue their pursuit of global honors.

This second stage of the World Championship will unfold over four days, from Saturday to Tuesday (September 20-23), featuring two matches per day, consistently starting at 15:30 and 20:00 local time (07:30 and 12:00 UTC).

Upcoming Eighthfinal Clashes:

The eighthfinal round will kick off with an all-European showdown between Turkiye and the Netherlands. Turkiye surprised many by dominating Pool G, surpassing higher-ranked Japan and Canada to finish undefeated. The Netherlands met expectations by securing second place in Pool B, behind powerhouse Poland. Poland will then face Canada, the runners-up of Pool G, in the second eighthfinal match on Saturday. Canada also created a significant upset in their group by convincingly shutting out Japan.

Sunday`s schedule is set to feature what could be the most anticipated eighthfinal: a clash between Argentina and Italy. The South American squad impressively topped Pool C undefeated, notably eliminating the reigning two-time Olympic champions France after a thrilling five-set victory on Thursday. Conversely, defending world champions Italy, initially strong favorites for Pool F, faced a five-set upset by Belgium, advancing to the eighthfinals as pool runners-up. The delightful surprise of this pool, undefeated Belgium, will then face another revelation from Pool C, Finland, in Sunday`s second game. The Finns started their World Championship campaign strongly, taking two sets against Argentina before allowing a reverse sweep, and later securing a crucial five-set win over formidable France to claim second place in their group.

Continuing the theme of surprises, Bulgaria will take on Portugal in the first of Monday`s two eighthfinals. The undefeated Bulgarians secured first place in Pool E by defeating two higher-ranked opponents, Germany and Slovenia. Meanwhile, the Portuguese caused an early upset against Cuba and then rallied from two sets down to beat Colombia, earning them second place in Pool D behind the USA. The undefeated Americans will face a challenging opponent in Pool E runners-up Slovenia in Monday`s late eighthfinal.

Tunisia, despite being the third-ranked team in Pool A, surprisingly claimed the top spot with a 2-1 record after triumphing over Egypt in a crucial North African derby on Thursday. Czechia emerged as the unexpected runner-up in Pool H. They stunned Serbia with a straight-set victory in their opener, and after a shutout loss to Brazil, they rebounded to sweep China, securing second place in the pool (also 2-1) and an eighthfinal berth against Tunisia on Tuesday. Serbia, despite a shaky start, recovered magnificently with two straight-set wins against China and Brazil, topping their group and eliminating the formidable South Americans. With the final quarterfinal spot on the line, Serbia will battle Iran in Tuesday`s late match. Iran, after a loss to Egypt and a win against Tunisia, narrowly advanced from Pool A, saving six match points against the energetic host team, the Philippines, in their decisive Thursday encounter.

FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Eighthfinal Schedule:

• Sep 20, Saturday
• 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Turkiye v Netherlands
• 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Poland v Canada
• Sep 21, Sunday
• 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Argentina v Italy
• 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Belgium v Finland
• Sep 22, Monday
• 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Bulgaria v Portugal
• 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): USA v Slovenia
• Sep 23, Tuesday
• 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Tunisia v Czechia
• 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Serbia v Iran