Women's World Championship 2025

Day 14: It’s medal time in Thailand!

Türkiye and Italy play for gold at 19:30 local time; Japan and Brazil go for bronze four hours earlier

Published 02:00, 07 Sept 2025

Türkiye and Italy have featured in exciting and important matches over the last few years

The last day of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship has arrived and, within a few hours, the three spots on the podium in the historic 20^th edition of the tournament will be filled at the Huamark Indoor Stadium, in Bangkok. Four volleyball giants are in contention on Sunday, with Türkiye and Italy playing in the final and Japan and Brazil meeting in the third-place match in the Thai capital.

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Third-place match: Japan vs. Brazil

The last day of matches in Thailand will start with two international volleyball heavyweights on the court, as Asian giants Japan and South American powerhouse Brazil meet in the third-place match at 15:30 local time (08:30 GMT).

The Brazilians have been more successful in matches involving the teams in the last four years, having triumphed in eight of the last ten duels, including both that were held during the Volleyball Nations League 2025 – one in the Preliminary Phase and another one in the semifinals. Japan, however, came out on top just over a year ago, when they battled in the semifinals of the VNL. The two sides met twice in the last edition of the World Championship, in 2022, with the Asians prevailing in pool play and the South Americans getting revenge in the quarterfinals.

On Sunday, Japan will have the opportunity to add to their vast World Championship medal collection, which features three golds, three silver and one bronze, earned in 2010, the last time that the Asians made it to the podium in the tournament. In Thailand, the team coached by Turkish Ferhat Akbaş dominated Pool H with victories over Cameroon, Ukraine and back-to-back defending champions Serbia. In the elimination rounds, they overcame Thailand in the Round of 16 and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals before falling to Türkiye in the semifinals. Team captain and outside hitter Mayu Ishikawa is their top scorer with 118 points, the second-highest mark in the entire tournament – she’s also second in passes (63) and aces (8). Other individual standouts are setter Nanami Seki, the second-best in her position with 215 successful actions, libero Manami Kojima, third in digs with 64, and opposite Yukiko Wada, who occupies the same spot in the servers’ ranking, with seven aces.

The runners-up of the 2022 World Championship, Brazil will play for their sixth medal in the event after collecting four silvers (1994, 2006, 2010, 2022) and one bronze (2014). The South Americans were the top team in Pool C after taking down Greece, France and Puerto Rico. They overcame the Dominican Republic in the Round of 16, topped France again in the quarterfinals and were on the wrong side of an incredible five-set battle against Olympic champions Italy in the semifinal. Like their opponents, the Brazilians also heavily rely on their talismanic captain, outside hitter Gabriela ‘Gabi’ Guimarães, who is their leading scorer with 107 points and ranks fourth in successful passes (55). They are in a league of their own when it comes to blocking and have the two most productive players in the category in the entire tournament in middle blockers Júlia Kudiess (27) and Diana Alecrim (24).

Final: Türkiye vs. Italy

The winners of the 2025 edition of the World Championship will start to be determined at 19:30 local time (12:30 GMT), when European giants Türkiye and Italy will get on the court to play in the tournament’s final.

Considering the last ten matches played since 2022, it’s been highly competitive between them, with six Italian victories and four Turkish triumphs. Recent form indicates Italy as potential favorites as they were the winning team in the last five encounters. There have been big wins for both sides in the period, with Italy overcoming their rivals in the semifinals on their way to winning gold at both last year’s Paris Olympics and the VNL 2022, and Türkiye beating the FIVB World Ranking leaders in the quarterfinals ahead of the victory at the VNL 2023 and in the semifinal before winning gold at the 2023 European Championship.

Türkiye have already produced a historic campaign at the World Championship in 2025, advancing for the final for the first time in history and securing their first medal. Before 2025, the reigning European champions had a sixth-place finish in 2010 as their best result. Their campaign in Thailand started with victories against Spain, Bulgaria and Canada in Pool E and continued with triumphs over Slovenia in the Round of 16, the United States in the quarterfinals and Japan in the semifinals during the elimination rounds. Star opposite Melissa Vargas tops all scorers in the tournament with 119 points – she’s also the best attacker with 106 points. Team captain Eda Erdem is third overall in blocks, with 17.

Reigning Olympic champions Italy are set to make their third-straight podium appearance after taking silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022 – their goal is to win gold for the second time, repeating what they did in 2002. Italy dominated Pool B in Thailand, overcoming Slovakia, Cuba and Belgium in their first matches in the tournament. In the elimination rounds, they swept Germany in the Round of 16 and Poland in the quarterfinals before getting the better of Brazil in five sets in the semifinals. Their leading scorer, star opposite Paola Egonu is tied for fourth in the entire tournament with 107 points. Possibly the team’s most iconic player, libero Monica de Gennaro, who could be set to end her international career on Sunday, is the best in the tournament in digs with 72, while outside hitter Myriam Sylla ranks fifth in passes with 41.