All news tagged MWCH2025

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) and Volleyball icon legend Senator Leila Barros have officially announced that the Philippines has been awarded the hosting rights for the 2029 FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Championship. 

“Hello everybody! The World Championship 2029 will be in the Philippines! Mahal ko kayo!” Barros declared.

This will mark the very first time the prestigious tournament takes place in the country.

Currently hosting the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025, the Philippines has impressed the international volleyball community with its organizational excellence, world-class venues, and the electric energy of Filipino fans.

By 2027 Women’s World Championship – To be co-hosted by the United States and Canada, marking the first-ever women’s world championship in North America.

And, by 2029 Men’s World Championship has been awarded to Qatar, bringing the men’s tournament to the Middle East for the very first time.

Two groundbreaking milestones that reflect volleyball’s growing global reach and expanding legacy.

The event, which concludes today, has showcased the nation’s passion for the sport and its ability to host competitions at the highest level.

Looking ahead to 2029, the Women’s World Championship is seen as a historic opportunity to further strengthen volleyball’s legacy in the Philippines and across Asia. 

Beyond the competition itself, the event is expected to inspire future generations of athletes and cement the country’s status as one of the sport’s global hubs.

There’s no secret formula behind Czechia’s improbable march to the semifinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship. Just determination, untapped potential, and belief—qualities that came to life in their four-set triumph over Iran, 22-25, 27-25, 25-20, 25-21, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Not widely considered contenders in a group that featured powerhouse Brazil, Czechia has defied expectations with steady play and resilience. Now, they find themselves just two wins away from a historic championship run.

“I don’t really know [what makes this team unique],” admitted head coach Jiri Novak. “I knew that in this team, I had players with big, big potential. I saw a lot of positive things during practices.”

The Czech squad is riding a three-match winning streak and will now face surging Bulgaria, which shocked world No. 4 USA in a thrilling five-set comeback, in the semifinals.

“We will play against one of two big teams, Bulgaria or the USA. We will see, we will see,” Novak said before the Bulgaria-USA clash. “Bulgaria is a young team, and the USA also, because they are preparing for the 2028 Olympic Games. We will see.”

The semifinals concluded last Saturday, September 27, at the MOA Arena, with Poland, the world’s top-ranked squad, taking on defending champion Italy in the other pairing. The gold and bronze medal matches are scheduled for Sunday, September 28, at the same venue.

From underdogs to semifinalists, Czechia’s rise is shaping up to be one of the biggest stories of this year’s World Championship—a reminder that in volleyball, belief and teamwork can sometimes topple tradition and reputation.

Bulgaria delivered the shock of the tournament, pulling off a stunning reverse sweep of world No. 4 USA, 21-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-13, to storm into the semifinals of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship before a roaring crowd of 10,474 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Ranked only No. 11 in the world, the Bulgarians looked doomed after dropping the first two sets but clawed back with grit and composure, capped by middle blocker Iliya Petkov’s clutch hit that sealed their first Final Four berth in nearly two decades.

Rising star Aleksandar “Alex” Nikolov powered the comeback, erupting for 29 points on 26 attacks, two aces, and a block, including seven in the tense decider. He was ably supported by Asparuh Asparuhov (12 points) and Petkov (10 points), while 18-year-old playmaker Simeon “Moni” Nikolov orchestrated the offense with 48 sets.

“First of all, we had a little bit of luck; nobody’s going to deny that. But I think the main thing was not giving up,” said Moni Nikolov. “This was looking like the absolute worst game of my career. Then, thanks to my incredible teammates, they pulled me out of the mud.”

The Bulgarians forced a fifth set after Asparuhov capped a 3-0 rally to close the fourth, then leaned on balanced scoring to withstand a late American surge. Using Alex Nikolov as a decoy, Bulgaria set up Petkov for the match-winner that left the USA stunned.

For the Americans, Ethan Champlin had 17 points, Jordan Ewert 15, and Merrick McHenry 12, while captain Micah Christenson tallied 55 excellent sets. But the Americans bowed out in the quarterfinals for the second straight World Championship after finishing sixth in 2022.

Bulgaria, bronze medalists in 2006, will next face world No. 17 Czechia in the semifinals, while Poland and Italy contest the other Final Four pairing in what is now guaranteed to be an all-European finale.

Iran proved once again that it thrives under pressure, outlasting world No. 9 Serbia in another five-set thriller to punch its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Tuesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Iranians, ranked 16th in the world, battled to a hard-fought 23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9 victory—just days after surviving hosts Philippines in a dramatic pool-play decider, 21-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-23, 22-20.

Far from being rattled by their string of five-setters, Iran head coach Roberto Piazza said he sees them as proof of his team’s resilience and growth.

“Worried? No,” Piazza said after the win. “I remember one player telling me during the game against the Philippines, ‘Coach, don’t be worried.’ I’ve never been worried in my life. We prepared the team—and all the coaches—to reach this level, to be able to play three games in a row. This is the mindset we are using in the tournament.”

Still, Piazza expressed some frustration, noting that his squad is capable of more. “These five-setters are the experiences we need to learn on the court. We have 11 completely new players, and until now, they are still not fully able to understand my volleyball language. That’s why I’m a little disappointed,” he admitted.

With the win, Iran became the last Asian nation standing in the 32-team tournament. But Piazza quickly shifted his focus to the looming quarterfinal against Czechia, with a Final Four berth at stake.

“Sorry, I’ve already stopped celebrating. My players need to stop immediately too because our next opponent played earlier at 3:30. Their game was not as long as ours, so we have less time to recover. We need to focus mentally on everything,” Piazza stressed.

Czechia, meanwhile, clinched its first-ever quarterfinal appearance as an independent nation after sweeping Tunisia, 25-19, 25-18, 25-23, in its Round of 16 match. The Czechs are already assured of at least an eighth-place finish, surpassing their previous best of 10th in 2010.

For Iran, the road only gets tougher. But if their back-to-back five-set victories are any indication, this team has no plans of backing down.

The United States weathered an early storm before flexing its championship pedigree, rallying past Slovenia, 19-25, 25-22, 25-17, 25-20, to book a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The world No. 4 Americans looked shaky at the start, falling behind 10-15 and conceding the opening set. But once they settled in, they proved too strong, reeling off three straight sets to secure the Round of 16 victory in just under two hours.

Now undefeated, USA sets up a high-stakes clash with fellow unbeaten Bulgaria on Thursday for a place in the semifinals. Bulgaria earlier swept Portugal, 25-19, 25-23, 25-23, sealing its first Top 8 finish in 15 years.

Opposite hitter Gabriel Garcia was unstoppable, delivering a monster performance with seven aces and a game-high 26 points built on 15 kills and four blocks. He also tallied 11 digs to anchor the Americans on both ends.

Ethan Champlin and Jordan Ewert chipped in 15 and 14 points, while middle blockers Jeffrey Jendryk II and Merrick McHenry combined for 16. 

Team captain and playmaker Micah Christenson controlled the tempo with 39 excellent sets, while libero Erik Shoji steadied the floor defense with 11 digs.

“I think we kind of needed that first-set adversity,” Christenson admitted. “Slovenia came out serving really well, as many teams tend to do against us. But we increased our service pressure, dialed in our passing, and fought off some big serves. It wasn’t the prettiest, but this team finds ways to win.”

Riding momentum from their bronze medal at the Paris Olympics and hungry to end a 39-year world championship drought, the Americans showed poise under pressure. 

After squaring the match with a dominant 8-1 run in the second set, they never looked back, dictating the pace through aggressive serving and balanced attacking.

Slovenia, the world No. 6 and a familiar Top 5 contender on the global stage, struggled to keep up in the absence of star spiker Rok Mozic, who sat out with a knee injury. 

Nik Mujanovic and Ziga Stern led the Slovenians with nine and eight points, but no player broke double digits in the loss.

Despite the setback, Slovenia exits with pride, having reached the Round of 16 in the tournament’s largest-ever edition featuring 32 nations.

Serbia punched their ticket to the Round of 16 after a stunning straight-sets victory over powerhouse Brazil, 25-22, 25-20, 25-22, in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Thursday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Drazen Luburic was unstoppable, leading Serbia with 17 kills and two aces for a game-high 19 points as the team capped Pool H with back-to-back wins after a shaky opening loss to Czechia.

Pavle Peric added 15 points on 13 attacks, one block, and an ace, while Miran Kujundzic chipped in 10 points, highlighted by four blocks.

“It’s a huge win for us. I’m not sure we would have performed this well if we had beaten Czechia. Probably we would have been a little relaxed, so in a way, it’s a good thing. We chose the hard way, but luckily, we made it through,” said Luburic.

“It was a great performance, definitely, as we saw on the court. We also knew how hard we worked this summer,” he added.

The loss jeopardized Brazil’s hopes of advancing despite their 2-1 record. Czechia still had a chance to claim the remaining Round of 16 ticket in Pool H with a straight-sets win over China in the late match.

Brazil, meanwhile, struggled offensively, with Alan Souza the lone bright spot with 10 points, while Judson Nunes contributed nine.

Crowd favorite Japan gave its Filipino fans one last reason to cheer, dispatching Libya in straight sets, 25-20, 25-15, 25-22, in a graceful exit from the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Still reeling from back-to-back losses that dashed their Round of 16 hopes, the Ryujin Nippon came out determined to finish strong. They never trailed in any set, their sharp execution and spirited play energizing the predominantly pro-Japanese crowd inside the Big Dome.

Kento Miyaura led the charge with 15 points on 11 kills, three aces, and a block, while captain Yuki Ishikawa added 12 markers. Ran Takahashi and Larry Ik Evbade-Dan chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively, with Shunichiro Sato contributing eight. Setter Motoki Eiro orchestrated the attack masterfully, dishing out 32 excellent sets.

After the match, Miyaura shared a heartwarming moment with Libyan libero-captain Foad Elmaarug, 42, the tournament’s oldest player, as the two exchanged jerseys at center court — a gesture of mutual respect that drew thunderous applause from fans of both teams.

“We lost the last two games, and along with that, we lost our confidence,” Takahashi admitted. “But we knew we had to change our mindset and come back in this game.”

Japan, which had high hopes heading into the Worlds, had suffered deflating straight-set defeats to Turkey and Canada earlier in the pool stage. Their win against Libya, however, showcased their trademark speed and balance, serving as a reminder of their world-class pedigree.

Libya, returning to the global stage for the first time since 1982, found its bright spots in Ikhbayri Ahmed Abulubaba Amhimmid, who tallied 11 points, and Mohamed Ikhbayri Abulababa, who added eight.

The victory may not have extended Japan’s campaign, but for the fans who filled the Araneta, it was more than just a consolation — it was a celebration of resilience, unity, and the enduring bond between team and supporters.

In other tournament highlights, world No. 1 Poland rallied past the Netherlands, Turkey clinched Pool G, and USA swept Pool D, as the Round of 16 picture continued to take shape across Manila and Pasay.

Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) president Ramon “Tats” Suzara has firmly denied any direct involvement with online gambling platform 1XBET regarding the country’s hosting of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.

The denial comes after Senate Games and Amusement Committee chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo flagged the tournament’s supposed sponsorship deal with the betting company, whose operations are considered illegal in the Philippines.

Tulfo criticized the visibility of 1XBET at the event, calling for an investigation by the Philippine National Police and the NBI. 

However, Suzara clarified that 1XBET logos do not appear on the taraflex courts at the Smart Araneta Coliseum or the Mall of Asia Arena, nor are they present on local tournament promotional materials.

Suzara explained that 1XBET’s presence is due to its role as a global sponsor of Volleyball World, the official international broadcasting partner of FIVB events, and not from any local deal with the PNVF.

“Wala,” Suzara told reporters when asked if 1XBET had dealings with the organizing committee. “Since the beginning, 1XBET is a global sponsor of FIVB. We met with PAGCOR and sabi nga nila, illegal dito [ang 1XBET].” Suzara told reporters, emphasizing that the organizing committee had no dealings with the betting company.

["Since the beginning, 1XBET is a global sponsor of FIVB. We met with PAGCOR and they confirmed that 1XBET is illegal here,"]

To clarify, Suzara showed that the 1XBET logo is visible only to international subscribers of Volleyball World’s streaming service and does not appear on Philippine TV broadcasts such as Cignal or One Sports.

"In the case of 1XBET, it is illegal in the Philippines. It’s not shown on domestic television. You can only see 1XBET in the global feed or if you are a subscriber of Volleyball World," he reiterated.

Suzara stressed that Senator Tulfo’s concerns may have stemmed from incomplete information, leading to the misconception that the PNVF had partnered directly with the gambling firm.

“This is a clear [case] we have to correct na baka mali ang information na kuha ni Sen. Tulfo. This would have been a good research bago i-inform si Sen.,” Suzara added.

Canada continues to prove that it belongs among the world’s elite, and this time, it did so at the expense of a regional powerhouse.

Two years after their basketball counterparts stunned Team USA in the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Philippine soil, Canada’s men’s volleyball team authored its own giant-slaying moment—sweeping world No. 5 Japan, 25-20, 25-23, 25-22, in Pool G of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Monday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The victory not only secured world No. 11 Canada a direct ticket to the Round of 16, but also eliminated one of the tournament’s biggest crowd favorites, leaving Filipino fans shocked at the sight of Japan bowing out early.

For Canadian skipper Nicholas Hoag, the triumph was about more than just advancing—it was a statement to the rest of the volleyball world.

“We always try to beat them and to beat the best teams in the world. We have the potential to do it, we just need the consistency,” Hoag said. “You saw it today against one of the best teams in the world that we can beat them 3-0 despite Japan playing well. We can do something.”

The Canadians were also faced with an atmosphere unlike any other. With Ran Takahashi leading the charge, the majority of the MOA Arena crowd lent their energy to Japan, making every point a battle not just on the court but also in the stands.

Yet Hoag said the raucous environment only reinforced their composure.

“On the court, it felt very calm. Despite all the noise and obviously everyone cheering for Japan, it’s fun. It’s fun to play in an environment like that but I didn’t feel like we’re stressed or anything,” he said.

“We were very calm and collected and we applied the game plan the whole time, so it was great. Despite the young age of all the guys on the team, it proves a lot of maturity.”

While Japan heads home disappointed, Canada leaves Pool G emboldened. 

Their sweep over a top-five team echoes the same underdog spirit their basketball squad displayed two years ago—a reminder that Canadian sports, across disciplines, is fast rising on the world stage.

As the tournament continues, Canada’s fearless, composed squad is determined to prove it belongs among the world’s elite.