2025 Volleyball World Championship final: Bulgaria and Italy to collide for top honours, Poland battle Czechia in bronze medal clash
World Championship final: Bulgaria’s dream vs. Italy’s power
We have been treated to some thrilling action in the 2025 Volleyball World Championship this year, and Sunday brings us two more blockbuster fixtures, headlined by Bulgaria taking on Italy in the grand final.
Bulgaria have been the surprise package of the tournament this year, having entered the competition as the number 19 seed and drawn into a difficult Pool E, alongside higher-ranked opponents Slovenia and Germany.
Despite being an underdog to qualify for the knockout rounds, the Lions defied the odds in style by not just getting through to the last 16, but doing so without losing a single match and dropping only two sets, both against the formidable Slovenia.
A fairly straightforward win over Portugal followed in the last 16, but arguably their best performance came in the quarter-final, where they rallied back from two sets down to crush the dreams of the United States, clinching a 3-2 victory.
Gianlorenzo Blengini’s side eased past Czechia in the semis and are now set to feature in their first World Championship final since 1970. They have never won the title, but they have picked up four bronze and a silver medal over the years. Check out our Bulgaria vs Italy prediction for all our experts’ insights.
Aleksandar Nikolov is the top scorer in the 2025 World Championship with 150 points!
Standing in the way of Bulgaria’s historic feat is Italy, which is looking to emulate Poland in 2014 and 2018 by winning back-to-back World Championships, and if they do so, it will be the fifth time they have been crowned kings of the court.
Gli Azzurri slipped in the betting odds after suffering an unexpected defeat to Belgium in the group stage but they came surging back thereafter, winning all of their matches since without dropping a single set.
After finishing second in the group stage, Ferdinando De Giorgi’s team made light work of Argentina before exacting their revenge on the Red Dragons. However, their standout performance to date was thumping world number one Poland in the semis.
Yuri Romano led the charge against the White and Reds, racking up 15 points to take his tournament tally to 66, while Alessandro Michieletto is the team’s top-scorer this year with 82 points, including 63 kills, eight blocks and 11 serve points.
While anything can happen in a final, Italy have been the dominant force in this contest in recent years, winning each of their last nine matches against this opponent dating back to the 2015 European Games.
2025 Volleyball World Championship final: Match details
Date: 28 September 2025
Time: 10:30 (GMT)
Venue: SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City
Referees: Simonovic Vladimir (SUI) and Mokry Juraj (SVK)
Third-place match: Czech Republic vs. Poland
Before the grand final takes place, the Czech Republic will be hoping to end what has been a truly remarkable tournament for them on a high note when they face the number one-ranked team in the world, Poland. Take a look at our Volleyball World Championship 2025 predictions for in-depth analysis of this clash.
The Czech’s failed to qualify for the last two editions of the World Championships, and even if they are unable to overcome the mighty Poles, this will still be their best finish in this tournament since 1970 when they came fourth in Bulgaria.
However, Czechia have not beaten Poland in a competitive match since 2011!
Indeed, Poland have been the benchmark in global volleyball for the best part of the last two decades, and while they are still expected to finish with a medal around their necks, Nikola Grbic will see the 2025 World Championship as a disappointment.
The White and Reds looked head and shoulders above the competition this year, but that was until they ran into Italy in the semi-final, where they were not just beaten, but failed to win a single set against the reigning champions.
World Championship bronze final: Match details
Date: 28 September 2025
Time: 06:30 (GMT)
Venue: SM Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City
Referees: Alblooshi Ismail Ibrahim (UAE) and Sarikaya Ozan Cagi (TUR)
