Iran vs Japan Prediction & Betting Tips - Nations League

Prediction published on 25/06/2026, 16:37  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 25/06/2026 at 16:38 in Nations League Predictions

Week 2 at the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League continues on Friday with Iran taking on Japan. Ryujin Nippon have won their last four matches against this opponent, and our prediction is that they will come out on top in this one as well. 

Iran have struggled to find their best form in the 2026 VNL. They have lost five of their six games in the competition to date, with the most recent coming against the USA 3-0 on Thursday. 

Despite their poor performances, Ali Hajipour has been a standout performer in this competition, currently ranked fifth in the leading point scorer standings with 90 points, including 10 blocks. 

Iran are down in 15th place in the standings and have lost six of their last 10 matches in all competitions. They last beat this opponent at the 2021 Asian Championships (3-0). 

In contrast, Japan have been excellent in this year’s competition. After kicking off Week 2 with a 3-1 victory over Serbia, they are now the only team left in the tournament with a perfect record. 

Rising star Ran Takahashi racked up a monstrous 22 points against Serbia in the last match, taking his tally for the competition to 97, which ranks fifth in the top scorer standings. 

Japan are second in the standings coming into this match and are riding a six-match win streak dating back to the World Championships in September last year.