VNL 2025

Brazil and Bulgaria make highest World Ranking jumps in VNL

How VNL participation affected the men’s teams’ positions in the chart

Published 07:39, 05 Aug 2025

Brazil (BRA) vs. Slovenia (SLO) men - Final 3-4 #53708890

Brazil and Bulgaria were the two participants in this year’s men’s Volleyball Nations League that made the highest jumps up the men’s FIVB Volleyball World Ranking between the start and the end of the competition. They climbed four positions each, more than anybody else in the VNL.

Brazil were ranked the number seven team in the world back on June 11, before the season started. After competition week two, they were already up to number four, the position they were also in when last week’s Finals in Ningbo started. During the Finals, Brazil surpassed reigning Olympic and dethroned VNL 2024 champions France in the chart and eventually made the podium with bronze and as the number three team in the World Ranking.

Bulgaria entered the season as the number 19 team in the world and after matching their best ever result in the VNL, 11^th place, they ended up as the 15^th ranked team in the chart.

Bulgaria (BUL) vs. Poland (POL) men - Pool 7 - Preliminary Phase #52184672

Bulgaria celebrate their victory over Poland in Gdansk

The team of Italy, who took silver, their first ever medal in VNL history, gained three positions in the World Ranking, moving from number five to number two, surpassing Slovenia, USA and France on the way up.

In the process of completing their VNL campaigns, Cuba and Iran climbed two positions each and are currently ranked number 10 and number 13. Cuba made it to the Finals for the first time and took seventh place in the final VNL 2025 standings, while Iran stopped just short of qualifying for Ningbo and took ninth place.

The teams that shifted one spot up the World Ranking each were Japan and Turkiye, who now stand in positions five and 16, respectively. Leaders Poland, eighth-ranked Germany, ninth-ranked Argentina, 11^th-ranked Canada and 14^th-ranked Ukraine kept their positions from before the start of VNL 2025.

The Netherlands were the VNL team that suffered the deepest dive in the World Ranking. In addition to finishing bottom of the standings, in 18^th place, and facing relegation, the Dutch also dropped six positions in the World Ranking, down to number 19 from the 13^th position, which they occupied at the start of the competition.

Despite finishing in a prestigious fourth place in the VNL, Slovenia suffered a descent of three positions down the chart, from number four to number seven. So did 12^th-placed USA – from number three to number six. France, who took fifth place in this year’s VNL, fell two spots down the ranking to number four. Serbia, who ended up in 16^th place, also dropped two positions down to number 12. After hosting the VNL Finals in Ningbo, China occupied eighth place in the final standings, shifting a spot down in the World Ranking, to number 25.

Bulgaria (BUL) vs. Iran (IRI) men - Pool 7 - Preliminary Phase #52284257

On the last day of the Preliminary Phase, Iran played their best match of the season, but narrowly missed advancement to the Finals

Brazil and Bulgaria also stood out as the best VNL performers in terms of World Ranking points gained. Brazil’s score improved by 50.56 points, from 305.87 to 356.43, or 43.71 points below leaders Poland and 11.59 points below second-ranked Italy. Bulgaria net-gained 41.84 points and their ranking score rose to 202.90

Iran come third in terms of points gained with 37.84, followed by Ukraine with 22.86, Italy with 21.70, Cuba with 11.35, Turkiye with 9.56, and China with 2.81.

The other 10 VNL participants ended up with net point losses and, somewhat surprisingly, gold medalists Poland were among them. During the Preliminary Phase, Poland conceded some heavy defeats that cost them a lot of points. Despite moving swiftly through the Finals and earning the VNL crown, they had 1.17 points fewer than they did before the start of the season, but they still kept their leading position with a score of 400.14.

In terms of points lost during the VNL, USA stood out in this negative ranking with a net drop of 46.37, followed by the Netherlands with 38.02, Slovenia with 36.52, Serbia with 29.61, France with 24.47, Germany with 10.04, Japan with 7.04, Argentina with 4.74, Poland with 1.17, and Canada with 0.59.