France sign off EuroVolley preparation with a 3-0 win over Brazil as Toniutti receives emotional farewell

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Paris could hardly have asked for a more fitting volleyball night.

The Adidas Arena was packed on Friday as France brought the curtain down on its EuroVolley 2026 preparation with an impressive 3-0 victory over Brazil, winning 27:25, 25:21, 25:16.
But the result was only part of the story. The evening was also dedicated to Benjamin Toniutti, the former captain and one of the defining figures in the history of French volleyball, who was officially celebrated after bringing his international career to an end.

The arena had been sold out for weeks, and the atmosphere steadily built throughout the evening. It was France’s first match in Paris since the unforgettable Olympic final at the 2024 Games, when the Bleus successfully defended their Olympic title, and the sense of occasion was unmistakable.
Toniutti’s farewell came after the second set.
The veteran setter walked onto the court through a guard of honour formed by his former international teammates, receiving a standing ovation from the Parisian crowd. It was a particularly emotional moment for a player who spent almost two decades wearing the French jersey and became captain in 2013.

Toniutti leaves international volleyball with 407 caps, two Olympic gold medals, won at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, as well as European, World League and Volleyball Nations League titles. His decision to retire from the national team was announced earlier this year, bringing an end to one of the most decorated careers in French volleyball history.

The celebration might have interrupted the rhythm of an ordinary match, but it did nothing to slow France down.
Andrea Giani’s team returned to the court after the long ceremony and finished the job with authority.
Brazil made France work hard for the opening set. Both teams struggled at times from the service line, with Brazil committing nine service errors and France six, but the Olympic champions remained composed when the score reached the decisive stages. France eventually needed four set points before Mathis Henno closed the first set at 27-25.
The second set followed a similar script. Brazil stayed within touching distance until the closing exchanges, but France once again showed greater composure when it mattered most. Henno was again influential, while the introductions of Noa Duflos-Rossi and Simon Magnin helped France maintain its intensity. Another strong serve from Henno helped set up the winning sequence for 25-21.
The third set was considerably more comfortable. With the pressure beginning to disappear, Giani rotated his squad and several of France’s younger players and substitutes joined the celebration. Stephen Boyer came alive offensively, while the French side continued to control the match until a Brazilian error finally ended the contest at 25-16.

Mathis Henno was the top scorer of the night with 16 points, attacking at an impressive 62 percent efficiency. Trévor Clevenot added eight, while Boyer finished with five. There was also a particularly encouraging performance from Daniel Iyegbekedo, who celebrated his 19th birthday the following day with seven points, including five kills from eight attacks and two blocks.

For France, the victory completed a highly encouraging preparation campaign. The Olympic champions finished with four wins — against Belgium, the United States, Slovenia and Brazil — and just one defeat, against Poland. It gives Giani’s side plenty of confidence heading into the European Championship, although the French captain Antoine Brizard was quick to point out that the real challenge will begin when the competition starts.

And that challenge is now very close.

France will open its EuroVolley campaign on Thursday, September 10, against Switzerland at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with the match scheduled for 17:00 local time. The French are in Pool D alongside Switzerland, Türkiye, Germany, Latvia and hosts Romania. Their remaining pool matches will see them face Türkiye on September 12, Latvia on September 13, Germany on September 15 and Romania on September 16.
The wider CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 tournament will bring together 24 teams across Italy, Bulgaria, Finland and Romania from September 9 to 26. France arrives as one of the competition’s most decorated and experienced teams — and now, after an emotional night in Paris, ready to begin a new chapter without the man who helped build so much of its golden era.

Toniutti may have left the international stage, but on a night like this, his presence was impossible to miss.
The old captain received his goodbye. The new France is ready to begin.

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