The third known quarterfinalist will emerge from an eighthfinal clash between Italy and Germany, serving off at 17:00 local time (10:00 UTC) in Thailand’s capital.
Reigning Olympic and Volleyball Nations League champions Italy are the clear favorites, not only in this match, but also for the 2025 world title. However, the last time they met Germany, the two teams engaged in an even five-set battle. In a VNL fixture played in June, the southern Europeans had to come back from a set down twice, before celebrating a 3-2 (22-25, 25-10, 20-25, 25-13, 15-9) victory over the squad from central Europe.
Italy triumphed as world champions back in 2002. The other two World Championship podiums they have achieved in history came at the two most recent editions of the competition – silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022. Currently, they are the number one team in the women’s FIVB World Ranking. They have not lost an official game in well over a year now (since June 1, 2024) and the winning streak they are on already accounts for 32 consecutive matches. Italy went through the first stage of this World Championship with straight-set wins over Slovakia and Cuba, and a four-set victory over Belgium to top the Pool B standings with a full nine points. Their star opposite Paola Egonu led the team’s scorers in the pool phase with a total of 55 points across the three matches played.
Germany have never made it to a World Championship podium. East Germany’s fourth places in 1974 and 1986 were their best results in the history of the competition. In Pool G of the ongoing edition, they swept their matches with Kenya and Vietnam, and pushed Poland deep into the overtime of the tie-breaker before conceding their first loss of the tournament and finishing pool runners-up. Outside hitter Lina Alsmeier was Germany’s best scorer of the pool stage with a total of 45 points.
