VNL 2025: all results of third and last week – all ready for Finals in China!

Third and last week of Volleyball Nations League 2025 has been completed on Sunday.

In Pool 9, Brazil continued their dominant run with a 1-3 (21:25, 23:25, 26:24, 18:25) victory over South American rivals Argentina on Wednesday, officially clinching a place in the tournament’s Finals.
The hard-fought clash opened the third and final week of the Preliminary Phase at the Chiba Port Arena in Japan.
The winners started strong, winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-23. Although Argentina battled back to take the third set 26-24, Brazil responded with a commanding 25-18 win in the fourth to seal the match.
With this win, Brazil remains unbeaten in their last seven matches, leading the charts with eight wins and 23 points. Their ticket is now booked for the Finals in Ningbo, China, from July 30 to August 3.
Alan Souza led the charge with 20 points including a block and an ace for the winners, while Henrique Honorato added 18.
“We played really well as a team today,” said the latter. “It’s always tough against Argentina. We had a setback in the third, but I’m proud of how we bounced back.”
Argentina’s Pablo Kukartsev gave a strong performance by scoring a team-high 17 points, well supported by Luciano Palonsky who added 15, helping Argentina stay competitive throughout the match.
In the night’s headline clash, Yuki Ishikawa and Ran Takahashi returned to the court in style, combining for 41 points to led Japan to a 1-3 (25:21, 20:25, 23:25, 20:25) comeback win over Germany in front of a packed home crowd. The first one led the charge with 22 points, while the second added 19 while, earlier, Team USA put on a dominant display against Türkiye, cruising to a 3-0 sweep (26:24, 25:21, 25:19). Gabi Garcia starred with 15 points.

On Thursday, Turkiye fought their way to a crucial 3-1 win over Germany, while host nation Japan staged a jaw-dropping comeback to beat Argentina in five-sets.
In the opening match of the day, Turkiye delivered an amazing performance securing a well-deserved 3-1 (29:27, 25:22, 18:25, 30:28) victory over Germany.
The star of the match was 23-year-old outside hitter Efe Mandiraci, who secured a game-high 25 points—including the final point in a thrilling 30-28 fourth set, featuring a 59% success rate in attack and three aces, while Adis Lagumdzija added 23 points with two aces and a block, and Mirza Lagumdzija was near-perfect on offense, scoring 12 points with a remarkable 71% success rate.
Filip John was Germany’s standout, scoring 25 points, while Erik Rohrs and Tobias Brand added 18 and 13 points respectively, and middle blocker Florian Krage chipped in with 10 points.
Later in the day, the home crowd witnessed a spectacular reversal of fortune as Japan overturned a two-set deficit to defeat Argentina 2-3 (25:23, 25:23, 21:25, 23:25, 13:15) in one of the most thrilling games of the competition so far.
The comeback was orchestrated by Kento Miyaura, who left the court with 23 points, all from attack, with a 59% success rate.
Under the guidance of coach Laurent Tillie, youngsters Shoma Tomita and Masato Kai added energy and precision to Japan’s game, while Yuki Ishikawa who added 13 points, and Ran Takahashi who also contributed with 16.
Argentina were led by Luciano Palonsky (18 points), Bruno Lima (16), and Agustin Loser, who scored 15 points.

On Friday, USA down Argentina 1-3 (23:25, 25:20, 20:25, 23:25), with Cooper Robinson who led the charge with 20 points, while Argentina’s Pablo Kukartsev impressed with a match-high 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to stop the winners.
Meanwhile, Brazil extended their dominance with a 3-0 sweep of Japan (25:21, 25:23, 28:26). Flávio led them with 14 points, supported by strong performances from Lukas Bergmann and Alan.

In the weekend and, more precisely, on Saturday, Brazil guaranteed first place in the 2025 Volleyball Nations League final phase with a 3-1 win over Türkiye (25:22, 26:24, 22:25, 25:22) in Chiba, Japan.
With some starters rested, head coach Bernardinho fielded a mixed lineup featuring Darlan, Lucarelli, and Cachopa, with the first one who led the charge with as many as 28 points, supported by Lucarelli (13) and Arthur Bento (11).
For Türkiye, Efe Mandiraci topped their scoring again with 24 points.After a controlled first set, Brazil staged a comeback in the second and faltered in the third, before regaining momentum in the fourth and decisive one.
In the next game of the day, Germany celebrated a 3-2 (25:22, 22:25, 17:25, 25:15, 15:12) win over USA.
Brazil closed out their canpaign in dominant form, defeating also Germany 1-3 (25:21, 23:25, 20:25, 21:25) to finish atop the standings with an 11-1 record and 32 points, and they now head to the quarterfinals to face hosts China in Ningbo.
Arthur Bento led the charge with 20 points, supported by Alan Souza and Lukas Bergmann, who added 13 each. Despite solid efforts from Germany’s Erik Rohrs (17 points) and Filip John (16 points), the European squad exited the Finals race.
In another thriller, Argentina edged Turkiye 2-3 (25:18, 21:25, 19:25, 25:17, 15:17) after a controversial video challenge in overtime, with Pablo Kukartsev who starred with 29 points. Turkiye’s Adis Lagumdzija scored 23, and Efe Mandiraci stood out with 20 points.
In game that closed the Pool, Japan sweep USA 0-3 (21:25, 19:25, 23:25) eliminating them from the Finals.

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In Pool 8, backed by a loud home crowd, Slovenia rallied to defeat Canada 1-3 (25:21, 21:25, 19:25, 21:25) in their opening match of the final week of the VNL 2025. After losing the first set (21-25), theY bounced back to win the next three sets led by Tonček Štern who starred with 20 points, while Rok Možič and Žiga Štern added 12 each.
Earlier, Italy made quick work of Serbia with a dominant 3-0 victory (25:15, 25:14, 25:16), led by Alessandro Michieletto’s 16 points while, in Wednesday’s first match, Ukraine edged the Netherlands 3-2 in a thrilling five-set battle (25:21, 20:25, 20:25, 26:24, 15:13). Vasyl Tupchii led the winners with 21 points, while Dutch standout Tom Koops scored a match-high 28.

In a dramatic showdown on Thursday, Italy rejected a strong Ukrainian comeback to secure a tense 2-3 (15:25, 20:25, 25:16, 25:23, 10:15) victory.
The winners came out firing at the Arena Stožice, comfortably taking the first two sets (25-15, 25-20). However the rivals, playing in their first VNL season, refused to back down, turning the tide in the third and fourth sets (16-25, 23-25), forcing a nail-biting decider. With the match on the line, Italy found their rhythm again, closing the fifth set 15-10 to win the match.
Outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto was Italy’s standout performer, scoring 20 points (15 attack, three blocks, two aces). Ukraine’s valiant effort was led by Dmytro Yanchuk, who scored a match-high 25 points, and Vasyl Tupchii, who added 16.
In the evening, all easy for Slovenia, who sweep The Netherlands 0-3 (18:25, 19:25, 21:25) without major problems.

On Friday, Serbia reignited their VNL 2025 campaign with a commanding 0-3 (22:25, 19:25, 17:25) win over Ukraine in Ljubljana, snapping a disappointing losing streak. Drazen Luburić was unstoppable, collecting 20 points to help Serbia climb out of last place and stay alive in the relegation fight, while Pavle Perić and Marko Ivović added 12 and 11 points respectively in the victory.
Ukraine couldn’t match the rivals’ pace despite Vasyl Tupchii’s 15-point effort, and solid support from Yanchuk and Semeniuk.
In the evening, Canada came out swinging and never looked back, delivering a dominant 3-0 (25:22, 25:20, 25:15) win over the Netherlands.
For the Dutch, it was more than just a tough loss, as it was the beginning of the end of their VNL journey.
Xander Ketrzynski led all scorers scoring 16 points for the winners.

On Saturday, World champions Italy silenced Slovenia 3-0 (25:22, 25:20, 25:23) in front of 8,000 home fans at Arena Stožice, securing a place in the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Finals in Ningbo, China.
Led by Kamil Rychlicki (13 points), Alessandro Michieletto (12), and Simone Anzani (10), the winners delivered a dominant performance, joining Brazil, France, Poland, and hosts China in the final stage.
“It’s amazing,” said Gianluca Galassi. “We’ve worked hard for this moment. Now we prepare for China.”
Slovenia’s Rok Možič was their top scorer with 10 points.
Meanwhile, Serbia beat Canada 3-1 (15:25, 25:22, 25:18, 25:22) to confirm their 2026 VNL spot.

On Sunday, Italy swept the Netherlands 0-3 (13:25, 22:25, 19:25) in Ljubljana to finish second overall with 28 points led by Luca Porro and Alessandro Bovolenta.
Meanwhile, Canada upset Ukraine 1-3 (21:25, 27:25, 29:31, 21:25), adding another twist in a dramatic day of VNL action.
In the evening, Slovenia pulled off a thrilling 2-3 (21:25, 25:23, 25:23, 18:25, 15:17) win against Serbia to book their place in the Volleyball Nations League final tournament. The dramatic win was made even more emotional as veteran setter Dejan Vinčić bid farewell to international volleyball after an impressive amount of 238 matches with the national team!
With Rok Možič leading the charge with 24 points and support from Nik Mujanović’s 15, Slovenia overcame a mid-match slump to win the final decisive two sets. Their sixth-place finish sets up a quarterfinal showdown with France in China.

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In Pool 7, Poland kicked off their home leg of the Volleyball Nations League with a dramatic 3-2 win over Iran, electrifying the home crowd at their Ergo Arena in Gdańsk.
Led by coach Nikola Grbić, they clinched their seventh victory in nine VNL matches this season, demonstrating strong and resilience in a back-and-forth encounter that finished with set scores of 25:19, 23:25, 25:18, 21:25, and 15:8.
Key contributors for the winners are Kamil Semeniuk with 21 points, while Wilfredo Leon added 14, including 5 aces, and Kewin Sasak 13.
For Iran, Amin Esmaeilnezhad led with 21 points, while Morteza Sharifi tallied 16. Despite their efforts, Iran couldn’t match the rivals’ strong performance from the serve line, where Poland held a decisive 12–5 edge in aces.
Earlier in the day, the reigning champions France defeated China 1-3 (25:22, 22:25, 23:25, 17:25), and Cuba narrowly overcame Bulgaria 2-3 (25:23, 16:25, 25:23, 25:27, 13:15).

On Thursday, Iran swept China 0-3 (26:28, 21:25, 17:25) in the Asian Derby, while Cuba pulled off a stunning upset, defeating world No.1 Poland 3-1 (22:25, 25:19, 25:21, 26:24) in front of over 9,000 home fans in a win that marks their first victory over Poland since 2010!
Marlon Yant led the charge with 18 points, while teammates Jose Masso, Miguel Ángel López, and Javier Concepción also hit double digits.
“We’re happy with the win, but our journey isn’t over,” said the latter.

On Friday, France survived a scare against Cuba, winning a five-set thriller ended with the score of 2-3 (25:20, 15:25, 25:23, 21:25, 9:15). Théo Faure led the charge with 20 points, backed by Trévor Clévenot’s 18 whil Cuba, who had won their previous two matches, stayed competitive with standout performances from Jose Masso (17) and Marlon Yant (16), but couldn’t close it out.
In the evening, Bulgaria down China in a hard-fought 0-3 (23:25, 16:25, 24:26) win.

In the weekend, Bulgaria stun Poland 3-2 (17:25, 25:22, 25:23, 27:29, 15:11), while France sweep Iran with a hard-fought 0-3 (24:26, 16:25, 24:26).
On Sunday, Iran pulled off a commanding 3-0 victory (25:17, 25-17, 25-16) over Bulgaria on the final day of the Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase. Amin Esmaeilnezhad led the winners with 19 points, while Amirhossein Esfandiar added 14.
Finals’ hosts China celebrated a hard-fought win over Cuba, 3-2 (20:25, 25:23, 15:25, 25:22, 19:17) while, in the evening, Poland beat France with the same result, 2-3 (30:32, 25:20, 20:25, 25:23, 12:15), in another closely fought encounter. Wilfredo Leon starred with 30 points, helping Poland bounce back after two straight losses. Both teams had already qualified, but still delivered an intense, crowd-pleasing volleyball battle.

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🏐FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2025 | All results of Week 3

— Wednesday | July 16, 2025 —

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Gdansk 🇵🇱
• 13.00 (Local Time) | China – France 1-3 (25:22, 22:25, 23:25, 17:25)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Cuba 2-3 (25:23, 16:25, 25:23, 25:27, 13:15)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Iran – Poland 2-3 (19:25, 25:23, 18:25, 25:21, 8:15)

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 13.00 (Local Time) | Ukraine – The Netherlands 3-2 (25:21, 20:25, 20:25, 26:24, 15:13)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Serbia – Italy 0-3 (15:25, 14:25, 16:25)
• 19.30 (Local Time) | Canada – Slovenia 1-3 (25:21, 21:25, 19:25, 21:25)

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Chiba 🇯🇵
• 12.00 (Local Time) | Argentina – Brazil 1-3 (21:25, 23:25, 26:24, 18:25)
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Türkiye – USA 0-3 (24:26, 21:25, 27:29)
• 19.20 (Local Time) | Germany – Japan 1-3 (25:21, 20:25, 23:25, 20:25)

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— Thursday | July 17, 2025 —

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Gdansk 🇵🇱
• 16.30 (Local Time) | China – Iran 0-3 (26:28, 21:25, 17:25)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Cuba – Poland 3-1 (22:25, 25:19, 25:21, 26:24)

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Italy 2-3 (15:25, 20:25, 25:16, 25:23, 10:15)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Slovenia 0-3 (18:25, 19:25, 21:25)

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Chiba 🇯🇵
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Türkiye – Germany 3-1 (29:27, 25:22, 18:25, 30:28)
• 19.20 (Local Time) | Argentina – Japan 2-3 (25:23, 25:23, 21:25, 23:25, 13:15)

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— Friday | July 18, 2025 —

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Gdansk 🇵🇱
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Cuba – France 2-3 (25:20, 15:25, 25:23, 21:25, 9:15)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | China – Bulgaria 0-3 (23:25, 16:25, 24:26)

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Serbia 0-3 (22:25, 19:25, 17:25)
• 20.00 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Canada 0-3 (22:25, 20:25, 15:25)

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Chiba 🇯🇵
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Argentina – USA 1-3 (23:25, 25:20, 20:25, 23:25)
• 19.20 (Local Time) | Brazil – Japan 3-0 (25:21, 25:23, 28:26)

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— Saturday | July 19, 2025 —

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Gdansk 🇵🇱
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Poland 3-2 (17:25, 25:22, 25:23, 27:29, 15:11)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Iran – France 0-3 (24:26, 16:25, 24:26)

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 16.30 (Local Time) | Serbia – Canada 3-1 (15:25, 25:22, 25:18, 25:22)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Italy 0-3 (22:25, 20:25, 23:25)

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Chiba 🇯🇵
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Türkiye – Brazil 1-3 (22:25, 24:26, 25:22, 22:25)
• 19.30 (Local Time) | Germany – USA 3-2 (25:22, 22:25, 17:25, 25:15, 15:12)

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— Sunday | July 20, 2025 —

| Pool 7 – Week 3 – Gdansk 🇵🇱
• 13.30 (Local Time) | China – Cuba 3-2 (20:25, 25:23, 15:25, 25:22, 19:17)
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Iran 0-3 (17:25, 17:25, 16:25)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | France – Poland 2-3 (30:32, 25:20, 20:25, 25:23, 12:15)

| Pool 8 – Week 3 – Ljubljana 🇸🇮
• 13.00 (Local Time) | Ukraine – Canada 1-3 (21:25, 27:25, 29:31, 21:25)
• 16.30 (Local Time) | The Netherlands – Italy 0-3 (13:25, 22:25, 19:25)
• 20.30 (Local Time) | Serbia – Slovenia 2-3 (21:25, 25:23, 25:23, 18:25, 15:17)

| Pool 9 – Week 3 – Chiba 🇯🇵
• 11.00 (Local Time) | Türkiye – Argentina 2-3 (25:18, 21:25, 19:25, 25:17, 15:17)
• 15.30 (Local Time) | Germany – Brazil 1-3 (25:21, 23:25, 20:25, 21:25)
• 19.20 (Local Time) | USA – Japan 0-3 (21:25, 19:25, 23:25)

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🏐| FINAL STANDINGS (updated on Sunday, July 20 2025)
1. Brazil 32
2. Italy 28
3. France 24
4. Japan 23
5. Poland 23
6. Slovenia 19
7. Cuba 20
8. Iran 19
9. Ukraine 18
10. Bulgaria 17
11. USA 17
12. Argentina 16
13. Canada 17
14. Germany 17
15. Serbia 10
16. Türkiye 10
17. China 9
18. The Netherlands 5

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🏐| NEXT GAMES |Quarterfinals – Ningbo Beilun – China 🇨🇳

— Wednesday | July 30, 2025 —
• QUARTERFINAL 1 | 15.00 (Local Time) | Japan – Poland
• QUARTERFINAL 2 | 19.00 (Local Time) | Brazil – China

— Thursday | July 31, 2025 —
• QUARTERFINAL 3 | 15.00 (Local Time) | Italy – Cuba
• QUARTERFINAL 4 | 19.00 (Local Time) | France – Slovenia

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