Brazil, China, Cuba, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, and Slovenia will compete for the 2025 Nations League title in Ningbo.
The seventh edition of the Men’s Volleyball Nations League will reach its peak stage this week – from July 30 to August 3 in Ningbo, China.
Eight national teams – Brazil, hosts China, Cuba, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, and Slovenia – will battle for the VNL 2025 crown in three stages:
Quarterfinals: Wednesday & Thursday
Semifinals: Saturday
Final & Bronze Medal Match: Sunday
Each day in Ningbo will feature two matches – at 10:00 and 14:00 Kyiv time.
This year, China is hosting the Men’s Nations League Final for the first time, and Ningbo becomes the first Asian city ever to host this event. The tournament will take place at the Beilun Gymnasium (4,000 seats), which previously hosted the FIVB World Grand Prix Finals in 2010 and 2012.
Quarterfinal 1: Italy vs Cuba
The first quarterfinal on Wednesday opens with a clash between Italy and Cuba. Both teams have yet to win medals in the VNL, although Italy reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2023. Italy defeated Cuba twice (3–1) during the preliminary rounds, but at the Olympic Qualifier in autumn 2023, Cuba took revenge with a four-set win.
Italy – reigning world champions, finished second in the preliminary stage (10–2, 28 points). Their star is outside hitter Alessandro Michieletto (117 points in 8 matches). Italy currently ranks #2 in the world.
Cuba – debuting in the VNL finals, placed seventh in the group stage (6–6, 20 points). They feature the tournament’s best attacker and top scorer, Marlon Yant (237 points, 200+ successful attacks).
Quarterfinal 2: Brazil vs China
The second match on Wednesday features Brazil vs China. Brazil has won four out of their five VNL meetings, including a 3–0 win this June in Chicago. China’s last victory over Brazil dates back to 2022.
Brazil – finished first in the group stage (11–1, 32 points) and is the clear favorite. Led by the best setter of the preliminary stage Fernando Kreling (Cachopa) and top defender/libero Maique Nascimento, Brazil ranks #4 in the world and previously won VNL gold in 2021.
China – 17th in the group stage (3–9, 9 points),but qualified as hosts. Their captain Jiang Chuan (98 points) is the leading scorer. This is China’s first-ever VNL finals appearance; they are ranked #25 in the world.
Quarterfinal 3: France vs Slovenia
On Thursday, the first match features France vs Slovenia. One month ago in Burgas, France won 3–0, but Slovenia leads the overall VNL head-to-head 3–2. Slovenia also beat France twice in epic five-set thrillers – at the Paris 2024 Olympics and the EuroVolley 2023.
France – Olympic champions (Tokyo 2020, Paris 2024) and VNL winners in 2022 & 2024. They finished third in the group (8–4, 24 points),ranked #3 in the world. Missing star Earvin Ngapeth, but led by last year’s MVP Antoine Brizard. Opposite hitter Théo Faure is the second-best scorer (225 points) and top server (21 aces).
Slovenia – led by outside hitter Rok Možič (155 points), barely reached the finals after a tiebreak win over Serbia, finishing sixth (7–5, 19 points). Ranked #7 in the FIVB standings.
Quarterfinal 4: Japan vs Poland
The last quarterfinal features Japan vs Poland. Both teams finished with 23 points in the group stage (8–4),separated only by set ratio. However, Japan has never beaten Poland in the VNL (0–7). One month ago, Poland defeated them 3–1 (27:25, 25:22, 18:25, 39:37) in Xi’an, China.
Poland – world’s #1 team, silver medalists at the World Championships and Olympics, reigning European champions and VNL 2023 winners. They will play without Kurek and Zatorski, but with Euro 2023 MVP Wilfredo León and team top scorer Kevin Sasak (133 points).
Japan – led by Kento Miyaura (184 points), Ran Takahashi, and captain Yuki Ishikawa. They won VNL bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024, currently ranked #5 in the world and aiming to continue their upward trend.
