Published: July 21, 2025
The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2025 men`s season will culminate in Ningbo, China, with a five-day knockout tournament featuring eight national teams vying for the championship title. The prestigious finals, hosted at the Ningbo Beilun Sports and Art Centre from July 30 to August 3, will see the top seven teams from the preliminary phase join host nation China.
The preliminary round, held from June 11 to July 20, showcased an intense competition across nine global cities under a revamped format. This phase resulted in a closely contested leaderboard, with high-caliber volleyball played throughout, as teams fiercely competed for a spot in the final eight.
Qualified Teams
The following national teams have successfully qualified for the finals:
- Brazil
- Italy
- France
- Japan
- Poland
- Slovenia
- Cuba
- China (host country)
Tournament Format and Schedule
The Ningbo finals will adopt a single-elimination bracket. Quarterfinal matches are set for Wednesday and Thursday, with sessions at 15:00 and 19:00 local time. Following a rest day on Friday, the semifinals will proceed on Saturday. The tournament concludes on Sunday, August 3, with the bronze medal match at 15:00 and the gold medal match at 19:00 local time.
Quarterfinal Matchups
- Italy vs Cuba – July 30 at 15:00 local time
- China vs Brazil – July 30 at 19:00 local time
- France vs Slovenia – July 31 at 15:00 local time
- Poland vs Japan – July 31 at 19:00 local time
Now in its seventh year, the VNL continues its evolution, with the 2025 men`s season witnessing some of the most thrilling and closely contested matches to date.
The stage is now set for an exciting conclusion as the VNL 2025 men’s champions are about to be crowned!
Jasper Thornfield 
Oliver Wrenwick