Iran brought Finland’s Cinderella story to an end on Friday with a 3-1 (30-28, 21-25, 25-16, 25-20) victory to book a spot in the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship at Yunnusobod Hall in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

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Finland showed heart early, pushing Iran to extra points in the first set and leveling the match in the second, but the Asian powerhouse took full control in the final two frames with strong net defense and consistent attacking. Amir Naderi Noureyni led Iran with 19 points, while Mohammad Amin Rahimi and Mohammadnima Bateni added 15 and 14, respectively. Vikot Viljamaa scored 16 for Finland in the loss.

France also advanced to the final four after a 3-1 (25-22, 21-25, 32-30, 25-18) win over Italy in one of the most tightly contested matches of the day. Both teams delivered high-quality volleyball, but France pulled ahead with 10 service aces, including seven from Andrej Jokanovic. He finished with 23 points, while Noa Duflos Rossi added 23 more from the attack line. Italy's Manuel Zlatanov matched their output with 23 points, though his teammates struggled to match France’s depth.

Poland endured its fourth five-set match of the tournament, outlasting Korea 3-2 (25-17, 24-26, 27-25, 19-25, 15-13). Maksymilian Lyson led the way with 37 points, including four blocks and 33 kills. Oskar Trawka contributed five blocks among his 17 points, while the Polish defense totaled 17 blocks as a team. Korea was led by Bang Kangho’s 26 points and Lee Seungil’s 21.

Spain also needed five sets to overcome Bulgaria, staging a reverse sweep to win 3-2 (24-26, 19-25, 25-17, 25-17, 15-8). Cesar Irache led all scorers with 31 points, including four service aces. Gerard Rejon Faundez added 18, and Izunna Kennedy Okafor Asierika had six blocks. Bulgaria had a strong start with Zhasmin Velichkov and Deyan Marinov combining for 34 points, but could not keep pace as Spain took control in the final three sets.

In the 9th–16th bracket, China swept Pakistan 3-0 behind disciplined net defense and only 10 errors, while Argentina rallied to beat the United States 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-20, 15-9). Samuel Guidi Correa and Mauro Danilo Gay combined for 45 points in that win.

Brazil took down hosts Uzbekistan 3-1 (25-13, 23-25, 25-15, 25-18) with Andre Luis Berto Aleixo and Lucas Righi Carvalho each scoring 18. Belgium closed the day and edged Japan in a dramatic five-setter, including a 42-40 second set and a 15-11 deciding frame. All Belgian starters reached double figures, countering Japan’s Karen Masajedi’s 34-point performance.

In placement matches for 17th–24th places, Cuba defeated Türkiye 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-21), while Puerto Rico triumphed over Colombia 3-1 (25-17, 24-26, 25-20, 25-21). Tunisia edged Algeria in five sets, 3-2 (25-19, 28-30, 21-25, 25-17, 15-7), and Egypt shut down Canada 3-0 (25-22, 25-16, 25-20) with a strong showing on both offense and defense.

The top four teams are now set. In Saturday’s semifinals, Poland will face Spain, and France will take on Iran in matches that will determine who plays for the world title.

2025 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U19 World Championship: full schedule

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