Unpredictable match-ups shaped up on the road to the world title
Polish libero Jakub Popiwczak ready for more World Championship action on Saturday
With the pool phase of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship in the Philippines now over, the line-up of eight eighthfinal match-ups is now complete and the knockout bracket that will lead to the prestigious trophy is now set. 16 teams are done and going home. The other 16 gather in Pasay City to continue their quests for world honors.
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The second round of the World Championship will take place over four competition days, from Saturday to Tuesday (September 20 – 23), with two matches a day, always serving off at 15:30 and 20:00 local time (07:30 and 12:00 UTC).
The eighthfinal round will get underway with an all-European clash between Turkiye and the Netherlands. The Turkish team emerged as the surprise winner of Pool G, after outplaying two higher-ranked opponents – Japan and Canada – and topping the pool standings undefeated, while the Netherlands lived up to the expectations to finish second in Pool B, runners-up to mighty Poland, who will take on Pool G runners-up Canada in the second eighthfinal on Saturday. The Canadians also threw in a big upset in their pool, hammering out an emphatic shutout of Japan.
Sunday’s program will get underway with what will probably be the most anticipated eighthfinal, between Argentina and Italy. The South American team topped Pool C undefeated and took responsibility for knocking out reigning two-time back-to-back Olympic champions France after beating them in five sets on Thursday.
Reigning world champions Italy, the heavy favorites to win Pool F, on the other hand, suffered a five-set upset at the hands of Belgium and qualified for the eighthfinals as pool runners-up. The pleasant surprise in this pool, unbeaten Belgium, will face the pleasant surprise of Pool C Finland in the second game on Sunday. The Finns had a great start to the World Championship, winning two sets against Argentina before allowing the South Americans a reverse sweep, but then outlasted mighty France in a five-set battle that proved crucial for the second place in the pool.
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Talking about pleasant surprises, Bulgaria will meet Portugal in the first of two eighthfinals on Monday. The undefeated southern Europeans beat two higher ranked opponents – Germany and Slovenia – on the way to the first place in Pool E, while the southwestern Europeans upset Cuba in their opening match, and then came back from two sets down against Colombia to claim their second win in Pool D and finish pool runners-up to USA. The unbeaten Americans will have a tough task against their eighthfinal rival as they will lock horns with Pool E runners-up Slovenia in Monday’s late eighthfinal.
Tunisia, the third highest ranked team in Pool A, ended up on top of the pool table on a 2-1 win-loss record after upsetting Egypt in a straight-set do-or-die North African derby on Thursday. Czechia were the surprise runner-up in Pool H. In their opening match, they stunned Serbia in straight sets and despite being shut out by Brazil, they bounced back to down China, also in straight sets, enough for the second place in the pool, also on 2-1, and a spot against Tunisia in the first eighthfinal on Tuesday. Despite stumbling in their opener, Serbia recovered with two straight-set wins over China and Brazil to win the pool and leave the mighty South Americans out of contention. With the last quarterfinal vacancy at stake, they will take on Iran in Tuesday’s late match. After losing to Egypt and beating Tunisia, the Iranians barely survived Pool A, denying six match points for the spirited home team of the Philippines in Thursday’s decider.
FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship eighthfinal schedule
Sep 20, 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Turkiye v Netherlands
Sep 20, 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Poland v Canada
Sep 21, 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Argentina v Italy
Sep 21, 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Belgium v Finland
Sep 22, 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Bulgaria v Portugal
Sep 22, 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): USA v Slovenia
Sep 23, 15:30 local (07:30 UTC): Tunisia v Czechia
Sep 23, 20:00 local (12:00 UTC): Serbia v Iran
2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship: full schedule and results
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