Portugal continued their impressive run at the FIVB Volleyball Men`s World Championship, securing a spot in the Round of 16 on Wednesday.
This Western European nation, along with the “Volleyball Empowerment” supported team Slovenia, joined an elite group of already qualified teams: Poland, Türkiye, Canada, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and USA.
The remaining eight qualification spots will be determined on Thursday following the final eight pool play matches held across two venues in Quezon City and Pasay City.
The top two teams from each pool will progress to the Round of 16, which commences on Saturday. The competition will then proceed in a single-elimination format, including the eighth-finals, quarterfinals, semifinals, and the grand final, where the world champion will ultimately be crowned.
Portugal`s Resilient Performance
Returning to the World Championship after a 23-year absence, Portugal kicked off their Pool D campaign with an unexpected 3-1 victory over Cuba last Saturday, before experiencing a straight-sets loss to the USA on Monday. They triumphantly rebounded on Wednesday, staging a comeback to defeat Colombia 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-21, 15-11) at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
USA`s 3-1 (25-17, 25-22, 23-25, 27-25) win against Cuba later that day solidified Portugal`s advancement to the Round of 16. The Americans topped Pool D with 9 points from three wins, while Portugal secured second place with 5 points from a 2-1 win-loss record, moving on to the knockout stage.
Slovenia`s Steady Progress and Empowerment
Slovenia, recovering from their 3-2 defeat by Bulgaria on Monday, overcame a resilient Germany 3-1 (25-21, 17-25, 31-29, 25-22) to clinch second position in Pool E and a place in the Round of 16. Fabio Soli`s squad concluded the group stage in second place with 7 points, holding a 2-1 win-loss ratio.
Slovenia`s ascent can be traced back to 2019 when they became part of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment program. Since then, Slovenia has received CHF 1.278 million in funding through this initiative. These investments have supported long-term coaching projects, athlete development programs, and improvements in their training environment.
Other Key Group Results
The top position in Pool E was claimed by Bulgaria, who finished the pool play undefeated after a commanding 3-0 (25-17, 25-12, 25-12) victory over Chile, accumulating a total of 8 points.
Türkiye continued their impressive form, sweeping past Canada 3-0 (25-21, 25-16, 27-25) to finish at the top of Pool G, unbeaten and with a maximum of 9 points.
Both teams had already qualified for the Round of 16, having secured two wins each, but Canada settled for second place with six points after Wednesday`s loss.
Japan, the top seed in Pool G, concluded the tournament with a comfortable 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-12) win against the African team Libya, who were making their return to the World Championship after 43 years.
Qatar found similar consolation, achieving their first-ever World Championship victory by defeating Romania 3-1 (20-25, 25-23, 25-20, 25-22). This placed them third in Pool B with 3 points from a 1-2 win-loss record.
The Pool B leaders and FIVB World Ranking frontrunners, Poland, lived up to expectations by finishing first in their group after overcoming the Netherlands 3-1 (22-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-22). The Dutch team had already secured their spot in the Round of 16 following their earlier victories against Qatar and Romania.
Finley Blackwood 
Oliver Wrenwick