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Denmark produced one of the biggest surprises of the opening days of CEV Enel EuroVolley Men 2026, sweeping the Netherlands 3–0 (25:17, 25:20, 25:20) in Tampere to claim their first points of the tournament and, even more significantly, their first-ever victory over the Dutch!
Both teams had entered the third day of Pool C looking for a response after losing their opening matches, Denmark falling to Finland and the Netherlands to Belgium. What followed was a match in which Denmark gradually took control and never allowed their opponents to recover.
With hundreds of Danish supporters creating a lively atmosphere in the stands, the winners established an early advantage in the opening set. Left-handed opposite Ulrik Dahl was particularly effective, scoring six points, including a powerful ace to close out the set. The Netherlands tried to stay within reach through Silvester Meijs and Tom Koops, but Denmark maintained a four- to five-point cushion before finishing the set 25–17.
The Dutch briefly moved ahead 6–5 at the start of the second, but Denmark quickly replied: their blocking became increasingly effective, with Simon Tabermann Uhrenholt and his teammates repeatedly disrupting the Dutch attack and giving captain Jacobsen the platform to run the offense with confidence. Denmark took the second set 25–20 and moved within one set of a historic victory.
And there was to be no comeback, because Denmark remained in control throughout the third set, maintaining the consistency that had defined their performance and closing it out 25–20 to complete a remarkable straight-set victory.
Tobias Hougs Kjaer was among Denmark’s leading scorers with 11 points and summed up the feeling inside the Danish camp afterwards: “It seemed easy but I can assure you it was not. We didn’t think we could win in this way, but it was amazing. I am so proud of all the team and I want to say a huge thanks to the fans who were here to support us,” he said after the game.
For the Netherlands, the result was a painful reality check. Meijs did not hide his disappointment after a performance in which the Dutch never found their rhythm.
“This is a real shock. Today we can say we didn’t play at all. Now we have to change something for the next match.”
Denmark can now celebrate a first EuroVolley victory in 2026 and a historic first win against the Netherlands.
The Pool C battle continued later in Tampere with Belgium facing hosts Finland, with Finland who made history in front of a record crowd at Nokia Arena!
A record-breaking crowd of 12,338 watched the home team battle past Belgium in a five-set thriller that turned the Nokia Arena into a wall of sound.
There was not a spare seat to be found at Nokia Arena for the game, and the crowd had plenty to celebrate by the end of a memorable evening.
A total of 12,338 spectators sets a new record for the most-attended volleyball match in Finland, and the previous mark stood at 7,700!
In front of this unprecedented home crowd, the “Veljekset” — Finnish for “the brothers” — delivered a performance worthy of the occasion.
From the opening rally, Finland and Belgium went toe-to-toe. Luka Marttila and Joonas Jokela led the Finnish attack, while Belgium captain Sam Deroo and Ferre Reggers kept the Red Dragons firmly in the fight.
Belgium had to chase Finland for most of the opening set, only moving in front for the first time at 23-22. It proved to be enough, however, as Deroo scored his tenth point of the set to give Belgium the opener.
Finland responded immediately.
The home side established a lead of as many as five or six points in the second set and, carried by the energy pouring down from the stands, refused to let Belgium back into the contest. At 16-17, Miika Aapaniemi produced a crucial ace and followed it with a block, turning the momentum decisively in Finland’s favour. The hosts took control from there and levelled the match at 25-20.
The Red Dragons never quite recovered their early confidence.
In the third set, Finland found increasing freedom in attack, with Luka Marttila and middle blocker Severi Savonsalmi drawing energy from an increasingly raucous Nokia Arena. Marttila scored five points in the set and Savonsalmi added four as Finland moved ahead 2-1.
Belgium, though, were not ready to surrender, and the fourth set remained balanced through its first half, with Finland holding a narrow advantage at 16-15.
Then the match changed direction.
Belgium finally found the momentum they had been searching for, building their comeback point by point and forcing the decisive fifth set.
And that was when Finland produced its best volleyball of the night.
There was no hesitation from the hosts in the tiebreak. Dig after dig, block after block and attack after attack, Finland played with the urgency of a team determined not to let the opportunity slip away. The record crowd responded to every action, turning the final set into a celebration long before the final whistle.
Finland completed the comeback and claimed a dramatic five-set victory, keeping their campaign alive in front of a home crowd that had already made history before the final ball was played.
“It was amazing to win in this arena, with all the public cheering and screaming after every point. It was incredible and I want to say a big thanks to all the fans who were here this evening,” said Finland middle blocker Severi Savonsalmi.
Antti Ronkainen also underlined just how special the occasion had been: “We had a special crowd. Playing in front of such a big number of fans is always crazy. Now we have to sleep and recover because tomorrow there is another big match against Serbia.”
The celebrations, therefore, will have to be short. Finland have barely enough time to savour a historic night before facing another major challenge.
But for one evening at least, they gave Finnish volleyball a night to remember — both on the court and in the stands!
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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | Saturday, September 12, 2026
POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Sweden – Czech Republic
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Greece – Italy
🏐| POOL A STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Italy 3
2. Slovenia 3
3. Czech Republic 3
4. Slovakia 0
5. Greece 0
6. Sweden 0
POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
16.00 (Local Time) | Poland – Israel 3-0 (25:16, 25:17, 25:18)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
19.00 (Local Time) | Bulgaria – Ukraine 1-3 (23:25, 22:25, 25:21, 21:25)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
🏐| POOL B STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Ukraine 9
2. Poland 6
3. Bulgaria 6
4. Israel 0
5. Portugal 0
6. North Macedonia 0
👉🏼POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Denmark – The Netherlands 3-0 (25:17, 25:20, 25:20)
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Belgium – Finland 2-3 (25:23, 20:25, 19:25, 25:23, 10:15)
🏐| POOL C STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Finland 5
2. Belgium 4
3. Serbia 3
4. Denmark 3
5. Estonia 0
6. Netherlands 0
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | France – Türkiye
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Romania – Germany
🏐| POOL D STANDINGS (updated on this day)
1. Germany 6
2. France 3
3. Romania 3
4. Latvia 3
5. Türkiye 0
6. Switzerland 0
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NEXT GAMES: Sunday, September 13, 2026
POOL A📍PalaPanini Modena
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Sweden
• 21.05 (Local Time) | Italy – Slovakia
POOL B📍Arena 8888 Sofia
• 16.00 (Local Time) | Portugal – Israel
• 19.00 (Local Time) | North Macedonia – Poland
POOL C📍Nokia Arena Tampere
• 15.00 (Local Time) | Estonia – Denmark
• 18.00 (Local Time) | Finland – Serbia
POOL D📍 BT Arena Cluj Napoca
• 17.00 (Local Time) | Switzerland – Türkiye
• 20.00 (Local Time) | Latvia – France
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👀|QUICK LINKS
• EuroVolley 2026 – Calendar
• EuroVolley 2026 – All News
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