The 2025 Volleyball Nations League (VNL) men`s tournament is set to culminate in Ningbo, China. Eight national teams will clash in a five-day knockout event, vying for the prestigious title. The VNL Finals will take place at the Ningbo Beilun Sports and Art Centre from July 30 to August 3, featuring the top seven teams from the preliminary phase, joined by host nation China.
This year’s preliminary round, which ran from June 11 to July 20, adopted a new format, spreading across nine global cities. This setup led to an exceptionally competitive standings table throughout the competition. Each week of matches showcased high-caliber volleyball, with teams closely contending for one of the coveted eight spots in the finals.
Qualified Teams
The nations that have secured their places in the finals are:
Brazil, Italy, France, Japan, Poland, Slovenia, Cuba, and host country China.
Tournament Format and Schedule
The Ningbo finals will employ a thrilling single-elimination format. Quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, with action starting at 15:00 and 19:00 local time.
Friday will serve as a recovery day before the semifinals on Saturday. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, August 3, with the bronze medal match at 15:00 and the highly anticipated gold medal match at 19:00 local time.
Quarterfinal Matchups (local time)
- Italy vs Cuba – July 30 at 15:00 (07:00 GMT)
- China vs Brazil – July 30 at 19:00 (11:00 GMT)
- France vs Slovenia – July 31 at 15:00 (07:00 GMT)
- Poland vs Japan – July 31 at 19:00 (11:00 GMT)
Now in its seventh edition, the VNL continues to evolve, with the 2025 men`s season delivering some of its most thrilling competition yet, often decided by razor-thin margins. The stage is now perfectly set for the VNL 2025 men`s champions to be crowned!
Oliver Wrenwick 
Finley Blackwood