Italy and Bulgaria Clash in Undefeated Showdown at FIVB Men’s World Championship Final

The stage is set at the Mall of Asia Arena for a thrilling conclusion to the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship as Italy and Bulgaria, both undefeated, face off Sunday, September 28. The match highlights a battle between Italy’s experienced, four-time world champion team and the rapidly ascending Bulgarian squad making its first final appearance.

Ranked ninth globally, Bulgaria enters the final as the underdog against Italy, the world’s No. 2 team. Despite this, star spiker Aleks Nikolov expressed confidence, stating, "You can expect us to play with zero pressure. The team on the other side is better than us, but that doesn’t matter. It’s one game. We start zero-zero. We’re gonna go out swinging."

His father and former Bulgarian captain Vladimir Nikolov, himself a bronze medalist in the 2006 World Championship, reflected on the unique nature of this tournament. "This Championship was very strange because in the world today, there are five teams better than Bulgaria – Italy, France, Poland, Brazil, and Japan, and three out of five teams are not here. So when this happened, when Brazil was eliminated, we started to dream," he said. "I’ve had a pretty successful career and I never had a chance to play in the final of the World Championship. So it’s very special [for our family]."

Italy, chasing its third World Championship title in recent years, continues to demonstrate a high level of performance after defeating world No. 1 Poland to secure their spot in the final. Team captain and reigning world MVP Simone Giannelli emphasized the team’s respect for Bulgaria’s depth, noting, "We have to be focused, of course, on the Nikolovs because they are amazing, but they are playing with six or seven with the libero, so I want to be respectful with the Bulgarian team and not to speak only about two amazing guys. We know that it will be very difficult for us because [the Bulgarians] are playing very well, for sure, so we have to maintain our level and try to be present on the court."

The final will be preceded by a special appearance from Brazilian volleyball legend and senator Leila Barros, along with FIVB president Fabio Azevedo, who are set to reveal a surprise at 6 pm. Earlier in the day, Poland will contend with the Czech Republic for the bronze medal at 2:30 pm, aiming to extend its streak on the podium.

Following the championship match, Filipino indie folk-pop band Ben&Ben will perform during the awarding and closing ceremonies, marking the conclusion of a remarkable 16-day volleyball festival hosted by the Philippines.