The 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines is about to reach its climax on Sunday with the two matches that will determine the teams that will make it to the podium and will enter the annals of the World Championships as the 2025 medalists. The day’s program will start with the third place game between Czechia and Poland, after which Bulgaria and Italy will lock horns for the world title in the grand finale in Pasay City.
Men's World Championship 2025
Day 15: It’s time for the grand finale!
Bulgaria against Italy in the final, and Czechia against Poland for the third place on Sunday’s program
Published 12:05, 28 Sept 2025
Bulgaria against Italy in VNL 2025
- Watch the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship on VBTV
Final: Bulgaria v Italy
The final of the 2025 World Championship will feature a southern European derby between the teams of Bulgaria and Italy and will serve off at 18:30 local time (10:30 UTC) on Sunday.
Italy are on a streak of nine consecutive wins over Bulgaria in the head-to-head series. Their most recent encounter was in a Volleyball Nations League 2025 match on June 11 in Quebec, Canada and went 3-1 the way of the eventual silver medalists. Bulgaria’s most recent victory over Italy dates back to the 2015 European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan, and was also decided in four sets the way of the eventual silver medalists.
Bulgaria has collected five medals in the history of the World Championships. At the ongoing edition, they will at least match their best result, the 1970 silver. In addition, the Bulgarians have picked up four bronze medals, most recently in 2006. They are the only team still undefeated at Philippines 2025. In Pool E, they upset two higher ranked opponents, Germany in straight sets and Slovenia in five sets, and topped the pool with a shutout of Chile. The southern Europeans cruised on to a straight-set win over Portugal in the eighthfinals. In the quarterfinals, they mounted a spectacular comeback from two sets down to knock out the United States and progress to the semis, where they disposed of Czechia in a four-set game. Bulgaria entered the tournament as the number 15 team in the World Ranking and moved six positions up to their current spot as number nine. Bulgaria’s 21-year-old rising star outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov is the best scorer and the best attacker of the tournament with 150 points in total, of which 133 in spike kills. Bulgaria’s middle blocker and captain Aleks Grozdanov leads the best blockers ranking with 17 stuffs to his name, while 18-year-old playmaker Simeon Nikolov is second among the best setters.
Italy are one of the most decorated teams in the history of the World Championships. They triumphed with the world title three times in a row – in 1990, in 1994 and in 1998 – as well as at the most recent edition in 2022. They also have a 1978 silver around their necks. By finishing runners-up in VNL 2025, Italy climbed to number two in the FIVB World Ranking. Despite being the heavy favorites to win Pool F in the Philippines, they suffered a five-set upset at the hands of Belgium and qualified for the eighthfinals as pool runners-up. The southern European team started off with a shutout of Algeria and secured the second place in the pool with a shutout of Ukraine. In the eighthfinals, Italy defeated Pool C winners Argentina in straight sets, and in the quarterfinals, they got back at Belgium with another emphatic sweep. The Italians continued their perfect run through the playoffs in the semifinals with a shutout of the world’s number one team Poland. Their middle Roberto Russo is the third best blocker of the tournament so far. With a total of 82 points across the six matches played, outside Alessandro Michieletto is the team’s leading scorer.
Third place match: Czechia v Poland
The last competition day in Pasay City will open with the third place game between Czechia and Poland, with both teams aiming at their first ever bronze in the history of the World Championships. It will serve off at 14:30 local time (06:30 UTC).
Poland have won all of the last three meetings with Czechia that occurred at the CEV European Championships in 2011, in 2019 and in 2023, the last two times in straight sets.
As a successor of Czechoslovakia, Czechia had a glorious past in the World Championships, with the titles in 1956 and 1966, in addition to four silver medals between 1949 and 1962. However, they had not reached the final four since 1970. Reaching the semifinals at this championship was already by far the best result Czechia have achieved in the history of the competition as a separate nation. They entered Pool H of this championship as underdogs, but surprised Serbia with a shutout in their opening match. Then, they lost to Brazil and beat China, both in straight sets, enough to finish pool runners-up and progress. In the eighthfinals, they took out Tunisia in straight sets, and in the quarterfinals, they came back from a set down to beat Iran in four. Their successful run ended in the semifinals, when they lost to Bulgaria after a four-set battle. Czechia have moved from number 21 in the World Ranking before the tournament up three spots to number 18 now. Their outside Lukas Vasina is second in the tournament’s best receivers ranking, libero Milan Monik is third in the best diggers chart, while opposite Patrik Indra is the third best scorer with 95 points and the third best attacker of the World Championship.
Poland have been ruling as the number one team in the FIVB World Ranking for many years now. With three world titles (1974, 2014 and 2018) and two silver medals (2006 and 2022), they are also one of the most decorated teams in the history of the competition. At Philippines 2025, they cruised through the first phase with three-point victories over Romania, Qatar and the Netherlands in Pool B, before disposing of Canada in a four-set eighthfinal and of Turkiye in a quarterfinal sweep. Their first defeat of the tournaments, in a three-set semifinal against Italy, stopped them on the way to the final and sent them to the upcoming third place battle with Czechia. Star outside hitter Wilfredo Leon is the team’s leading scorer so far, with 67 points under his belt.
FIVB Men’s World Championship schedule for Sunday, September 28, 2025
Sep 27, 14:30 local (06:30 UTC): Czechia v Poland
Sep 27, 18:30 local (10:30 UTC): Bulgaria v Italy
