In a highly anticipated rematch, just weeks before the one-year anniversary of their Paris 2024 Olympic gold medal showdown, Poland triumphed over France on Sunday. This Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 Preliminary Phase encounter yielded a different outcome, providing a significant moment for the Polish team.
Wilfredo León delivered a career-best VNL performance against France.
Playing before a roaring crowd of over 10,000 fans at Ergo Arena in Gdańsk, Poland secured a thrilling 3-2 (32-30, 20-25, 25-20, 23-25, 15-12) victory. This hard-fought win served as a strong act of revenge for their defeat in the French capital nearly a year ago, propelling them into the VNL Finals in excellent form, set to commence in ten days.
Despite this impressive win, Poland concluded the VNL Preliminary Phase in fifth place with eight victories and 23 points. They are now slated to face fourth-ranked Japan in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, defending champions France finished third with eight wins and 24 points, setting up a quarterfinal match against sixth-placed Slovenia.
The match featured twelve players – five Polish and seven French – who also participated in the intense Olympic final last August. A standout scoring duel unfolded between Poland`s star outside hitter Wilfredo León and French opposite Théo Faure. León delivered a remarkable performance, accumulating 30 points (24 kills, 3 blocks, 3 aces), while Faure was equally impressive with 28 points (25 kills, 2 aces, 1 block).
Beyond León`s stellar display, other key contributors for Poland included opposite Kewin Sasak, who added 14 points, and middle blockers Jakub Kochanowski and Jakub Novak, along with outside hitter Tomasz Fornal, each scoring ten points.
“I wasn’t in Paris, but perhaps we can view this match as a form of revenge. Facing them is always a challenge, but we secured the win, and I`m incredibly pleased. It’s always a privilege to play in this jersey here in Gdańsk.”
— Kewin Sasak
For France, outside hitters Mathis Henno (17 points) and Yacine Louati (13 points), alongside middle blocker Mousse Gueye (11 points), provided significant support to Faure`s scoring efforts.
“For me, the most crucial aspect was our team play. I believe we performed very well, but Poland was simply better today. Now, we’ll return home and prepare for the Finals.”
— Mousse Gueye
Earlier in Gdańsk, prior to this highly anticipated rematch, China narrowly defeated Cuba 3-2 (20-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-22, 19-17), and Iran secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Bulgaria (25-17, 25-17, 25-16).
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick