Tag: 2025 Mens World Championship

September 13, 2025.- Portugal shocked Cuba with a victory in their debut at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship in the Philippines. In a Pool D match played in Pasay City on Saturday, the Europeans came back after losing the first set to celebrate their first World Championship win in nearly 23 years.

With 19 points from 22-year-old outside hitter Nuno Marques, Portugal (world ranking No. 29) defeated world No. 10 Cuba 3-1 (20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19).

Portugal was stronger at the net with 11-7 kill blocks and showed better accuracy, committing only 23 unforced errors compared to Cuba’s 31. Marques registered a 65% success rate in attack and sealed the match with a winning swing. He also added two aces and two kill blocks. Middle blocker Filip Cveticanin stood out with four blocks and a 71% attacking success rate, finishing with 14 points, while opposite José Pinto also scored 14, including three blocks.

Cuba matched Portugal in successful kills (48 each) and was better from the service line with 7 aces to 5. Outside hitter Marlon Yant also posted 19 points (two aces, two blocks), matching Marques as the game’s top scorer. Opposite José Massó contributed 12 points, while captain Miguel López added another 11.

Cuba faces Colombia on September 14 at 10:00 AM (hora local).

September 13, 2025.- Playing his first match with the Canadian national team since the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, opposite Sharone Vernon-Evans made a difference and helped the North Americans avoid what would have been a major upset, scoring 22 points to lead them to victory in their 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship debut.

Canada faced Libya, who returned to the World Championship after 45 years, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Pasay City, Philippines. The Canadians came back after unexpectedly dropping the first set and prevailed 3-1 (22-25, 25-20, 25-12, 29-27) in the Pool G opening match.

Despite the opening-set loss, Canada still secured all three points with their four-set victory, while the Libyans left empty-handed. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two will advance to the Round of 16.

A key figure for Canada between 2017 and 2021, the 27-year-old Vernon-Evans had transitioned to beach volleyball, appearing in some Beach Pro Tour events in 2023. In his return to international indoor volleyball, he picked up where he left off and finished as the match’s top scorer with 22 points (16 kills, three blocks, three aces).

Canadian captain and outside hitter Nicholas Hoag, also returning after missing the Nations League, shone with 20 points (15 kills, four aces, one block). Middle blockers Fynn McCarthy and Daenan Gyimah added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

“I think everyone was a little nervous in the first set,” Hoag admitted. “Libya plays very aggressively, and if they pass well, they’re hard to stop. I’m glad we got the win, but we need to play better if we want to beat Japan in the next match. They’re a great team, we can’t give them anything. We’ll also need to be very disciplined with our blocking.”

Serving was the big difference: Canada scored 15 aces against only 3 from Libya. The North Americans held a slight edge in kills (51 to 49) and blocks (12 to 9), while both teams gave away 23 points in errors.

Canada will face Japan on September 15 at 2:00 PM (local time).

September 13, 2025.- Back with the U.S. men’s national team after missing the Volleyball Nations League, captain Micah Christenson (Olympic medalist setter) guided the Americans to a solid victory in their first match of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship on Saturday in the Philippines.

Led by their star setter, the Americans started their campaign in the tournament with a strong 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-14) triumph over Colombia at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.

The victory gave the Americans their first three points in Pool D, while the Colombians left empty-handed in their historic World Championship debut. Each team will play two more group-stage matches, and the top two from each pool will advance to the Round of 16.

Ethan Champlin and Gabriel Garcia were key pieces in the offense run by the veteran 32-year-old setter. The outside hitter led the U.S. team with 17 points (12 kills, three aces, two blocks), while the opposite registered 12 (eight kills, four aces). Fellow outside hitter Jordan Ewert added 11 points (ten kills, one block).

“I think it was a good start,” Christenson said. “It was the first time for a lot of our guys in a World Championship match, and I think we didn’t have many ups and downs. Colombia had some good moments during the game, and we showed maturity in dealing with them.”

The Americans were superior in every aspect: they outscored Colombia in kills (40 to 31), blocks (6 to 4), and aces (8 to 3). They also made fewer errors (17 to 21) to secure their first tournament victory.

USA’s next match will be on September 15 against Portugal at 9:00 PM (local time).

August 31, 2025.- The United States conquered its first medal in the history of the competition in this age category, after sweeping Czechia 3-0 (25-20, 25-19, 25-18) in the bronze medal match.

Fourteen years after coming very close to the podium, the Americans set the pace with calm and control, steadily pulling away in each set to complete the sweep.

The victory was built on a balanced and complete performance, as the United States totaled 42 kills, four aces and eight blocks, while limiting their errors to only 13. Captain Sean Kelly led with 19 points (14 kills, three blocks and two aces), while Cole Hartke contributed 12.

Their solid defense contained the Czech attack, limiting captain Matej Pastrnak to 13 points and opposite Tomas Brichta to just six. With rallies consistently defined thanks to blocking and floor coverage, the Americans closed out the match and celebrated a long-awaited place on the podium.

Within the Dream Team, Sean Kelly of the United States was included, who was chosen as one of the Best Outside Hitters, after helping his team to achieve the historic bronze medal.

Cuba finishes seventh place

For seventh place, Cuba defeated host China 3-1 (25-20, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22), driven by the power of Daniel Martínez, who scored 26 points, and Carlos Javier Pereira Larea, who added 17. After conceding the third set to Wu Haoze and Li Hai, the Cubans regrouped in the fourth to close their tournament with a victory.

August 30, 2025.- The United States will play for the bronze medal at the Men’s U21 World Championship against Czechia, after falling in the semifinals to a determined Iranian team.

Playing in Jiangmen, China, the Americans were unable to stop Iran’s momentum and lost 0-3 (21-25, 20-25, 20-25). On Sunday the 30th, they will face Czechia at 5 PM (local time) for third place.

The U.S. squad is eager to avenge the bitter memories from 2023, when Czechia defeated them twice at the U21 World Championship in Manama, Bahrain. Back then, the Americans fell 1-3 in the first round and suffered another loss in the second round, this time 0-3.

Iran dominated the match across all stats — in attacks (41-35), blocks (10-7), and serves (2-1), and also capitalized on 22 unforced errors by the Americans.

Opposite Cole Hartke was the top scorer for the United States with 13 points (10 kills and 3 blocks).

Other NORCECA Teams in Placement Matches:

Canada defeated Brazil 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 26-28, 25-20, 18-16) to secure 17th place in the tournament. Owen Harris (19 points), Dawson Pratt (16), Zachary Yewchuk (15), and Daniil Hershtynovich (14) powered the Canadian victory.

Puerto Rico fell to Colombia 1-3 (22-25, 17-25, 25-23, 23-25) to finish 22nd. Despite opposite Ramón Andrés Rosado’s 24 points in attack, it was not enough for the Boricua side.

Match Schedule August 31 (local time):

7th/8th place: Cuba vs. China – 2 PM

Bronze Medal Match: United States vs. Czechia – 5 PM

August 29, 2025.- In a thrilling five-set match, the United States defeated France and advanced to the semifinals of the U21 World Championship being held in Jiangmen, China. Cuba, the other NORCECA semifinalist, was not as fortunate and ended up losing to Italy in four sets.

The Americans came back twice from being down in sets against the French, turning the score around to win 3-2 (21-25, 25-17, 22-25, 25-23, 15-12).

The match was very even, with a slight edge for the North Americans in blocks (14-9) and serves (5-4). Both teams executed 59 successful attacks and committed 30 unforced errors.

Outside hitter and U.S. captain Sean Kelly was the top attacker with 21 points, 20 of them coming from the net. Cole Hartke was key from the service line, delivering 3 aces and finishing the match with 19 points. Crist, Jordan, and Foley combined for a total of 10 blocks.

The United States will play the semifinal on August 30 at 5 PM (local time) against Iran. The other semifinal will feature Italy against Czechia, three hours after the Americans’ match.

Cuba, meanwhile, fought hard but lost 1-3 (18-25, 25-22, 18-25, 21-25) against Italy, who never let their guard down. The Cubans outperformed the Italians in blocks (10-9), but the Europeans were stronger in attacks (55-38) and serves (8-4).

Opposite Guillermo Martínez was Cuba’s main weapon in attack, scoring 24 points (19 attacks, 2 blocks, and 3 aces), but it was not enough to secure the victory.

August 27, 2025.- The United States maintained their unbeaten streak with a straight-set victory over Bulgaria this Wednesday in the Round of 16, being one of the teams that remain undefeated and that advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship 2025 in Jiangmen.

Iran, Czechia and Italy also advanced with flawless records, while France, Cuba, Poland and China joined them to complete the lineup of the top eight.

The Americans kept their momentum going with a 3-0 (25-19, 25-17, 25-20) win, leaving Bulgaria trailing from the start. Sean Kelly led the attack with 13 points, Jackson Cryst contributed 11, and setter Tread Rosenthal added four blocks as part of a dominant defensive performance.

Each set followed a similar pattern, with USA taking early leads and never relinquishing control. Their 34 kills and 11 team blocks reflected the balance across the entire rotation.

Cuba had to fight harder, overcoming Egypt in extended sets before closing 3-0 (30-28, 27-25, 25-17). Opposite Daniel Martínez finished with 28 points, while Félix Ernesto Rodríguez Hernández added 10. Captain Hamza Awad (Elsafy) scored 20 for Egypt, but did not have enough support to force a fourth set.

On August 29, the United States will play for a spot in the Semifinals against France at 11 AM (local time), while Cuba will face Italy at 8 PM (local time).

November 27, 2024.- The tournament will kick off on September 12 with the opening match between the host country, the Philippines, and Tunisia.

The 32 national teams that will take part in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, in the Philippines, are now familiar with what the start of their journeys in the tournament will be like as the event’s match schedule was released.

Set to take place from September 12-28 in the country’s capital Manila, and having the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena as venues, the 2025 World Championship will have 64 matches over the course of 17 days of action.

Watch the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship live onVBTV

A single match will be held on the opening day, September 12, pitting hosts the Philippines, who are set to make their first-ever appearance in the event, and Tunisia, who will be competing for a seventh-straight time, against each other, at 19:00 local time (12:00 GMT), in a Pool A encounter.

International volleyball heavyweights the United States, Japan and Poland will all be on the court on the second day of action, September 13. With new head coach Karch Kiraly on the sidelines, the Americans will meet Colombia, at 10:00 (3:00 GMT), in a Pool D encounter.

Japan, who will also have a new leader in French Olympic champion Laurent Tillie, will start their Pool G campaign at 14:00 (7:00 GMT), against Türkiye. Three-time world champions and FIVB World Ranking leaders Poland will appear in the last match of the day, scheduled for 21:30 (14:30 GMT), when they battle fellow Europeans Romania in Pool B.

The debut of defending champions Italy will be one of the attractions of the third day of the event, September 14. The Europeans will bring the day to an end, meeting Algeria at 21:30 (14:30 GMT) in Pool F.

Reigning Olympic champions France will be another team to play on the day, as they start their Pool C campaign against Korea, at 18:00 (11:00 GMT). Later, at 21:00 (14:00 GMT), three-time world champions Brazil make their Pool H debut against China.

2025 Men’s World Championship – Match Schedule

Pool play will unfold from September 12 to September 19, with the top two national teams in each of the eight pools advancing. After a rest day, the elimination rounds begin on September 20 with the Round of 16, which will go until September 23, with two matches per day.

Two quarterfinal duels will be held on September 24 and another two on September 25. After another rest day, it will be time for the medal rounds, with the two semifinals taking place on September 27 and the bronze and gold medal matches ending the event on September 28.

The 2025 World Championship will be the first in the ‘new era’ of the tournament. Starting in this edition, the tournament will be held biannually and will have an expanded field, featuring 32 national teams per gender.