Men’s U21 Teams Set for Action in Jiangmen

Jiangmen, China, is set to host the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men`s U21 World Championship from August 21 to 29, showcasing the sport`s brightest young stars. Twenty-four national teams will compete, representing the elite future of men`s volleyball.

The defending champions, Iran, who triumphed over Italy in a thrilling five-set final in 2023, will return. Bulgaria, bronze medalists from the last edition after defeating Argentina, also rejoin the competition. All three medal-winning nations from 2023 are scheduled for opening day matches.

Participating Nations

The teams competing in Jiangmen include:

• Argentina
• Brazil
• Bulgaria
• Canada
• China
• Colombia
• Cuba
• Czechia
• Egypt
• France
• Indonesia
• Iran
• Italy
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• Korea
• Morocco
• Poland
• Puerto Rico
• Thailand
• Tunisia
• Türkiye
• Ukraine
• USA

Tournament Format

The 24 teams will be initially divided into four pools, each comprising six teams, for a round-robin preliminary phase. The top four teams from each pool will advance to the eighth-finals. Winners of these matches will proceed to the quarterfinals, while the losing teams will compete in playoffs for 9th to 16th place. The two lowest-ranked teams from each pool will participate in classification matches to determine positions 17th through 24th. This comprehensive format ensures every team plays until the final day, resulting in a full ranking from 1st to 24th place.

Opening Day Schedule (August 21)

The championship kicks off on Thursday, August 21, with a packed schedule of 12 matches:

• 11:00 local time (03:00 GMT):
  • USA vs. Thailand (Pool A)
  • Iran vs. Kazakhstan (Pool B)
  • Bulgaria vs. Cuba (Pool C)
• 14:00 local time (06:00 GMT):
  • China vs. Türkiye (Pool A)
  • Poland vs. Puerto Rico (Pool B)
  • Brazil vs. Japan (Pool C)
• 17:00 local time (09:00 GMT):
  • Egypt vs. Morocco (Pool A)
  • Canada vs. Korea (Pool B)
  • Czechia vs. Colombia (Pool C)
• 20:00 local time (11:00 GMT): (Pool D Fixtures)
  • Italy vs. Indonesia
  • Tunisia vs. France
  • Argentina vs. Ukraine

Jiangmen`s debut as a host city for the Men`s U21 World Championship marks the culmination of the 2025 age-group season, featuring nine days of intense competition.