France defended its title with a comeback win over Poland, while Spain battled past Iran in five sets to claim bronze at the FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship on Sunday at Yunnusobod Hall in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

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After dropping the opening set, France stormed back to defeat Poland 3-1 (22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-12), sealing its second consecutive gold medal with a powerful finish.

“In the first set I wasn’t fully in the game, and as a team we didn’t play well,” said Andrej Jokanovic. “In the second set, we reminded ourselves that this was the final, the match we had been waiting for all our lives, and we had to step up. We had some good actions and won important rallies that gave us momentum as a team. That helped me especially to get those good rallies and finish them. It gave me huge confidence and helped me push through the last three sets.”

Jokanovic starred with 24 points from 17 attacks, four blocks and three aces, while captain Noa Duflos Rossi delivered 20 points on 15 kills, four blocks and three aces. Their dominant all-around play overshadowed the efforts of Poland’s Maksymilian Lyson and Oskar Trawka, who scored 15 and 13 points, respectively.

The opening frame was tight until the final stretch, where a service error by Duflos Rossi and a well-placed serve by Trawka gave Poland the edge. They closed the set 25-22, with Trawka scoring seven points including two aces.

France regained its footing in the second, pulling ahead 18-15 through sharper attacks and tighter net defense. Poland stayed close and cut the lead to one at 22-21, but Jokanovic and Duflos Rossi responded with clutch plays. Back-to-back blocks from the French captain on Lyson secured the set 25-22 and shifted the momentum.

In the third, France raced to a 6-2 lead and never let up. Jokanovic sliced through the Polish block while France's defense smothered any response. A clean 25-15 win put the defending champions one set away from the title.

The fourth set was one-sided. France rode the wave with a 12-5 start, combining flawless attacking with relentless defense. Jokanovic and Duflos Rossi dominated the final rallies, with the captain scoring the last two points – a clever back-tip followed by a sharp swing off the block – to complete the title run at 25-12.

France finished the match with 55 attacks, 17 blocks and five aces, adding a second gold to its Boys’ U19 medal collection, alongside a previous bronze.

“We played such good volleyball, so we beat a lot of very good teams,” said France captain Duflos Rossi. “I’m very happy, but I couldn’t have done this without my team. It’s a collective sport, so we are together, we win together. Of course, there was a lot of pressure because it was the final of the World Championship. All the teams in the final are good. We played better than Poland, we wanted it more, and we won.”

Earlier, Spain capped its campaign with a hard-earned 3-2 (23-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 15-10) win over Iran to take the bronze medal.

Cesar Irache erupted for 38 points on 35 kills and three blocks in a standout performance that powered Spain to its second-ever podium finish. Iran edged the opening set behind Mohammad Amin Rahimi’s late offense, but Spain responded with a strong start in the second and a long rally finished by Irache to even the match.

Iran controlled the third with more consistent attacking, but Spain answered in the fourth as Irache helped swing momentum with key hits and a 23-20 lead. A service error from Iran closed the set and sent the match to a decider. Spain carried the energy into the fifth, pulling ahead 8-4 at the switch and keeping the lead through Irache’s right-side attacks. A late Iranian ace was not enough, and a service error ended the match.

“It’s awesome to win the bronze medal with this team and to see Spain on the podium for the second time,” said Irache. “Finishing in third place is one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. In this match, I tried my best and helped the team with whatever they needed. If the situation was not good, I told my teammates to receive well and I would try to score. The coach did not give me anything special. This was a team effort, and we worked as one.”

Meanwhile, Italy secured fifth place as they bounced back from a first-set loss to defeat Bulgaria 3-1 (21-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-20). Andrea Giani and Federico Argano led a well-rounded effort, while Bulgaria leaned heavily on Zhasmin Velichkov, who scored 25 points.

In the battle for seventh, Finland snapped its losing streak with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-21, 21-25, 25-21) win over Korea. Viktor Viljamaa and Kasper Vesanen combined for 33 points as Finland’s block and serve game held firm despite Korea’s third set push.

Ninth place went to China, who edged Brazil 3-0 (27-25, 25-21, 26-24). Yu Xiang and Hu Hanlin led with a combined 30 points, while China’s superior blocking and service pressure helped them close out two tight sets.

A strong serving performance helped Belgium secure 11th place with a 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 24-26, 25-19) win over Argentina. Guilhem Hubert scored 29 points, including six aces, while Argentina found little support beyond Samuel Guidi Correa’s 16-point effort.

Pakistan imposed its rhythm early and never let up in a 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-18) win over hosts Uzbekistan to take 13th place. Muhammad Yahya led the way with 14 points, while the defense held Shokboz Mamayusufov to just nine.

Closing out the classification matches, the United States edged Japan in a tight five-setter 3-2 (20-25, 25-16, 25-15, 23-25, 15-12) to finish 15th. Grant Lamoureux and Roman Payne combined for 33 points and nine blocks in a gritty final push.

2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship: full schedule

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