​The title defense continues! Poland down to EuroVolley2026 final after a straight sets win over Slovenia

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The title defense continues!
Poland has officially secured their spot in the Gold Medal Match of the 2026 Men’s European Volleyball Championship after defeating Slovenia in straight sets: 25:23, 25:23, 25:18.
The reigning champions are now just one win away from claiming back-to-back European titles and securing a highly coveted direct berth to the LA 2028 Olympic Games.

In first semi-final in Milan, the reigning champions defeated the rivals surviving two fiercely contested opening sets before taking complete control of the match in the third.
For Slovenia, the result brings an end to another impressive European Championship campaign and a remarkable run of four consecutive Final Four appearances.
For Poland, however, the journey continues exactly where they wanted it to: one victory away from retaining the European title.

The scoreline suggests a comfortable evening for Nikola Grbić’s side, but the first two sets told a very different story.
Poland appeared to have established control in the opening set when they moved 20-14 ahead, only for Slovenia to launch one of their characteristic comebacks. Nik Mujanović immediately became a problem from the service line, while Alen Pajenk added pressure at the net with a block on Bartłomiej Bołądź as Slovenia fought their way back into contention.
Poland nevertheless remained composed when the set entered its decisive phase. The reigning champions maintained just enough of a cushion to reach 24-22, and although Slovenia continued to fight, a service error from Klemen Čebulj finally handed Poland the opening set, 25-23.

The second set followed almost the same script. Poland gradually built a four-point advantage at 15-11, but once again Slovenia refused to surrender. Mujanović continued to carry a huge share of the Slovenian attack and helped his team level the score at 15-15, turning what had looked like another Polish-controlled set into another battle of nerves.
This time, though, Poland had Wilfredo León to call upon. The Cuban-born Polish star took responsibility when the pressure was highest, producing a powerful diagonal attack to put his team 24-21 ahead. Slovenia saved two set points, but Poland completed the job on their third opportunity, winning another 25-23 and moving within one set of the final.

Slovenia made their strongest start of the match in the third, opening a 3-0 lead and then extending it to 11-7.
For a moment, the momentum appeared to be shifting.
Coach Nikola Grbić responded from the bench, introducing Kamil Semeniuk for León. The change immediately gave Poland another dimension, particularly from the service line. Semeniuk’s pressure helped disrupt the Slovenian reception, while Poland began to win the transition rallies that had kept the first two sets so close.
Bołądź then delivered at the other end of the court, finishing important counter-attacks, while Marcin Komenda continued to involve Poland’s middle blockers. When Bartłomiej Lemański found the floor, Poland had turned the match around and led 13-12.
From there, Slovenia could no longer find the same resistance.
Tomasz Fornal then produced one of the key sequences of the match, first helping Poland establish a 17-14 advantage with an ace before taking responsibility again in the final exchanges. Two consecutive attacks from Fornal brought Poland to match point, and the block completed the job moments later: 25-18.

Slovenia’s best scorer was also the player who kept them alive for long stretches of the match: Nik Mujanović finished with 20 points through 41% in attack including 2 blocks and 4 aces, but even that remarkable serving performance could not prevent Poland from gradually taking control. Bartłomiej Bołądź led Poland with 14 points through 46% in attack and 2 block, while Tomasz Fornal, Bartłomiej Lemański (78% in attack from the middle and 4 blocks) and Wilfredo León each contributed with 11.

The victory gives Poland a second consecutive EuroVolley final.
The reigning champions also eliminated Slovenia in the semi-finals of the 2023 edition, winning that match 3-1 before going on to lift the trophy.
Poland had already arrived in Milan as the defending European and VNL champions, having retained their VNL title in August.
For Slovenia, meanwhile, the defeat closes another remarkable European chapter.
They had reached the Final Four at every EuroVolley since 2019 and arrived in Milan after overcoming Belgium 3-1 in the quarter-finals.
Their consistency at this level remains one of the defining stories of European men’s volleyball, even though the elusive European title continues to escape them.

Poland now wait for their opponent in Saturday’s final.
France and Finland will contest the second semi-final later in Milan, with the Finns arriving after their extraordinary quarter-final victory over hosts and reigning world champions Italy.
One match remains between Poland and another European title. And after surviving Slovenia’s best moments without ever losing their composure, the defending champions have once again reached the stage where everything will be decided by one final night!

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🏐| CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 | SEMIFINALS

Friday Semptember 25, 2026
📍Unipol Forum Assago
👉🏼 17.00 (Local Time) | Slovenia – Poland 0-3 (23:25, 23:25, 18:25)
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH
• 21.00 (Local Time) | Finland – France
📸| PHOTOGALLERY OF THE MATCH

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