Italy and Iran sweep their way into rematch for gold in Jiangmen
Italy and Iran advanced to the final of the 2025 FIVB Men’s U21 World Championship after dominant semifinal victories at Jiangmen Sports Center on Saturday. The two teams will meet in a highly anticipated rematch, with Italy looking to avenge their 2023 loss to Iran. The intense semifinal action was followed by a series of thrilling playoff and classification matches, as teams fought for their final positions in the tournament.
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Iran and Italy return to the Men’s U21 World Championship final, with Iran aiming to defend its title and Italy looking to avenge their losses in the 2019 and 2023 finals. Iran claimed their first World Championship title in 2019 by defeating Italy in a five-set thriller and successfully defended their crown in 2023 with another five-set victory over the Italians. This marks Iran’s third appearance in the final, with a chance to secure a third title.
Italy, who won their only World Championship title in 2021, return to the final for the seventh time, hoping to break their streak of two consecutive losses to Iran in the last two finals.
Iran defeated USA 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-20) in a dominant semifinal performance. Ali Mombeni led the Iranian charge with 19 points, including 18 attacks and one ace, while Armin Ghelichniazi added 10 points, including three blocks. Taha Behboudnia and Emran Kook Jili both contributed with three blocks each, and Ariyan Mahmoudi Nejad scored eight points. Iran’s defense was sharp throughout, preventing USA from gaining any significant momentum.
USA started strong, holding a lead early in the first set, but Iran tied the score at 16-16 and gradually gained control to win the set 25-21. Mombeni played a key role with seven points, including six attacks. Iran continued to dominate in the second set, pulling ahead after briefly tying the score at 4-4. Excellent serving and precise attacks helped Iran build an 11-6 lead, and they closed out the set 25-20. The third set saw USA challenge with a tie at 13-13 after a successful review, but Iran regained the lead and finished strong, winning 25-20.
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Earlier, Italy secured a convincing 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-18) victory over Czechia in their semifinal. The Italians controlled the match from the outset, with precise play in every area. Tommaso Barotto was Italy’s top scorer, contributing 14 points, including 13 attacks and an ace. Manuel Zlatanov also played a key role, adding 13 points with nine attacks, an ace, and three blocks. Czechia’s Tomas Brichta, their top scorer, was limited to just nine points as Italy’s defense stifled his efforts.
Italy led in attacks 34-30, aces 4-3, and blocks 8-3. Their execution was sharp, with each player contributing in crucial moments. Captain Lorenzo Magliano added seven points to help maintain Italy’s well-rounded attack. Czechia’s attempts to get back into the match fell short, as Italy maintained their dominance throughout, closing out the third set 25-18 for a clean sweep.
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In the 5-8 playoff, Poland rebounded from their quarterfinal loss with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-20, 25-19) win over Cuba. Wojciech Gajek scored 20 points, and Jakub Kiedos added 14, leading Poland’s offense. Despite Cuba’s Carlos Javier Pereira Larea scoring 14 points, Poland’s defensive edge and solid attack led them to a comfortable victory.
France also secured a spot in the fifth-place match with a 3-0 (25-21, 25-21, 25-22) win over China. Adrien Roure and Thomas Pujol each scored 13 points, with France delivering 46 kills and eight blocks. Despite strong performances from China’s Wu Haoze and Gao Yuning, France’s consistency across all areas of the game ensured they closed out the match in straight sets.
In the 9-12 place playoff, Bulgaria defeated Japan 3-1 (25-20, 12-25, 25-17, 25-22). Bulgaria took the first set 25-20, but Japan responded with a dominant 25-12 second set. Bulgaria regained control in the third and sealed the victory in the fourth. Zhasmin Velichkov led Bulgaria with 19 attacks and five blocks, while Japan’s Takuma Kawano and Shunta Ono finished with 18 and 16 points, respectively.
Ukraine claimed a 3-1 (25-22, 25-23, 25-27, 25-18) win over Korea in the battle for 9th place. Ukraine’s balanced offense and defense, led by Maksym Tokonoh and Yaroslav Horobets, overwhelmed Korea, despite strong performances from Cho Deukjin and Park Wooyoung.
Kazakhstan came from behind to beat Argentina 3-2 (26-28, 25-21, 18-25, 26-24, 15-11). Klim Ryukhov scored 24 points, helping Kazakhstan recover from a third-set setback. Argentina’s Fausto Diaz had 30 points, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win, as Kazakhstan’s balanced team effort saw them through in the tiebreak.
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Egypt advanced to the 13th-place battle with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 25-22) win over Türkiye. Despite being outgunned in attack, Egypt’s defense, including seven blocks from Ibrahim Abdelmaksood, helped them close out the match in four sets.
In the 17th-place final, Canada rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Brazil 3-2 (23-25, 25-20, 26-28, 25-20, 18-16). Owen Harris led Canada with 19 points, while Zachary Yewchuk added 15, including five blocks. Despite Bryan Lucas Alves da Silva’s 32 points, Canada’s all-around play sealed the comeback victory.
Indonesia claimed 19th place with a thrilling 3-1 (25-23, 25-13, 20-25, 29-27) win over Thailand. Dawuda Alaihimas Salam and Muhammad Haikal Hidayatullah both delivered 20-point performances, with Dawuda contributing 23 attacks and a block.
Colombia secured 21st place with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-17, 23-25, 25-23) victory over Puerto Rico. Maicol Isaac Ortiz Castañeda’s eight aces led Colombia’s dominant serving game, while Puerto Rico’s Ramon Andres Rosado Pineda contributed 24 points in a losing effort.
Morocco earned 23rd place with a 3-2 (27-25, 24-26, 25-23, 22-25, 15-12) win over Tunisia in a tense all-African derby. Anas El Moufakkir led Morocco with 28 points, including six blocks, while Tunisia’s Rasem Ksouda scored 15 points. Morocco’s well-rounded play helped them seal the win in the tiebreak.
2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s U21 World Championship: full schedule
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