The focus of youth volleyball shifts from Europe to Central Asia, where top U19 boys` teams will compete for the world championship title.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is set to host the 19th FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship from July 25 to August 3. This event follows the Girls’ U19 tournament held in Croatia and Serbia, now bringing international attention to Central Asia as future men`s volleyball talents vie for the prestigious youth title.
Fans can follow the action of the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship via VBTV.
The championship kicks off on Thursday at 11:00 local time (06:00 UTC) with a total of 12 matches across Tashkent. Four of these matches will be played at Yunnusobod Hall, with the remaining eight spread across two courts at the Sport University Center.
Uzbekistan, as the host nation, will play its inaugural World Championship match against Türkiye in Pool A. Day 1 will also see the commencement of campaigns for France, Iran, and Korea – all medalists from the previous edition. France is scheduled to play Canada in Pool B, Iran will face Spain in Pool C, and Korea will compete against Cuba in Pool A.
A record 24 teams are participating in this year`s tournament, initially divided into four pools, each containing six teams, for the preliminary round-robin stage. The top four teams from each pool will advance to the Round of 16, also known as the eighth-finals.
Victorious teams from the Round of 16 will proceed to the quarterfinals, while those defeated will enter playoffs for 9th to 16th place. Teams finishing in the bottom two spots of their initial pools will play classification matches for positions 17 through 24. Ultimately, all teams will compete in three final rounds to establish their overall ranking from 1st to 24th, concluding with the bronze and gold medal matches on August 3.
The teams are grouped as follows:
- Pool A: Uzbekistan, Belgium, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Pakistan, and Türkiye.
- Pool B: France, Bulgaria, Japan, China, Algeria, and Canada.
- Pool C: Iran, Italy, Egypt, Tunisia, Poland, and Spain.
- Pool D: United States, Korea, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, and Finland.
Uzbekistan marks a significant milestone by participating in the Boys’ U19 World Championship for the first time. This reflects their consistent progress in recent years, offering them a prime opportunity to compete against the world`s elite while simultaneously hosting a major international volleyball event.
Anticipation builds in Tashkent as teams vie for supremacy. With a blend of emerging talent, established volleyball traditions, and compelling new narratives, the 2025 Boys’ U19 World Championship is set to deliver 11 days of captivating and fierce competition.
A complete schedule for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship is available.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick