The seventh season of the Men`s Volleyball Nations League is set to reach its thrilling conclusion. While the 2025 VNL champions and other medalists will be crowned on Sunday, Saturday`s action at the Beilun Gymnasium in Ningbo, China, will determine which teams advance to the gold medal match and which will vie for bronze. The first semifinal will see Italy take on Slovenia at 15:00 local time (07:00 UTC), followed by Brazil versus Poland at 19:00 (11:00 UTC). The medal matches on Sunday will follow the same schedule.
Semifinal 1: Italy v Slovenia
Italy and Slovenia will compete for the first spot in the men`s VNL 2025 final on Saturday afternoon in Ningbo. Both teams are making their third VNL semifinal appearance, yet neither has ever secured a podium finish, with two fourth-place rankings as their best historical results. This means the victor of this match will guarantee their country`s first-ever VNL medal. Their last encounter in this year`s Preliminary Phase on July 19 in Ljubljana saw Italy clinch a decisive 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-23) victory, giving them a 3-2 lead in their all-time VNL head-to-head record. In that game, Italy`s opposite Kamil Rychlicki scored 13 points and outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto added 12, but middle blocker Simone Anzani`s six kill blocks were crucial. Rok Mozic led Slovenia with 10 points.
Current world champions and the world`s second-ranked team, Italy, secured their spot in the Ningbo Finals as Preliminary Phase runners-up with a 10-2 win-loss record and 28 points. Their path to the semifinals included a 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21) quarterfinal victory against Cuba this week. Alessandro Michieletto stands as their top scorer in the tournament, accumulating 134 points.
Slovenia earned the final spot in the Ningbo Finals after a thrilling tie-breaker victory against Serbia in the last Preliminary Phase match, finishing sixth with a 7-5 record and 19 points. On Thursday, Slovenia caused a major upset in the quarterfinals by defeating last year`s champions and reigning Olympic champions France 3-1 (25-22, 15-25, 25-19, 25-18). This impressive win also elevated them one position to sixth in the World Ranking. Rok Mozic leads Slovenia`s scoring efforts in this VNL season with 163 points.
Semifinal 2: Brazil v Poland
Brazil and Poland will clash on Saturday evening in what promises to be an unpredictable battle for the second berth in Sunday`s grand final. This will be the 13th VNL encounter between these two teams, with their all-time head-to-head record currently tied at 6-6. Their most recent match, on June 29 in Chicago, saw the South American side triumph 3-1 (25-21, 25-21, 21-25, 28-26), with Darlan Souza leading Brazil with 25 points, while Kamil Semeniuk posted a team-high 17 points for Poland.
Led by Fernando Kreling (Cachopa), recognized as this year’s top setter in the VNL, Brazil concluded the Preliminary Phase at the top of the standings with an 11-1 record and 32 points. They then overcame host nation China 3-1 (29-31, 25-19, 25-16, 25-21) in Wednesday`s quarterfinal in Ningbo. This win propelled Brazil past France to third place in the World Ranking. The Brazilian team also boasts the tournament`s best digger, libero Maique Nascimento, while Alan Souza, Darlan’s older brother, is the team`s leading scorer in VNL 2025 with 167 points. Brazil seeks its second VNL medal, having previously won gold in 2021. They also reached the semifinals in 2018 and 2019, finishing fourth both times.
The world`s top-ranked team, Poland, finished the Preliminary Phase in fifth place with an 8-4 record and 23 points. In their Thursday quarterfinal, they secured the final semifinal spot with a dominant 3-0 (25-23, 26-24, 25-12) sweep against fourth-placed Japan. Poland is a powerhouse, holding silver medals from recent FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championships and Olympic Games, and are the reigning European champions. They have consistently medaled in every VNL edition since 2018, claiming the title in 2023. Their most effective player in VNL 2025, opposite Kewin Sasak, has recorded 148 points.
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick