Argentinian coach Raúl Lozano has named the final roster of the Ukrainian men’s volleyball national team for the 2025 World Championship.
The tournament will take place in the Philippine capital Manila from September 12 to 28, 2025. Matches will be played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and the SM Mall of Asia Arena, where fans will witness 64 games in 17 days featuring the world’s 32 strongest teams.
The format foresees eight groups of four teams, with the top two advancing to the Round of 16.
The reigning world champion is Italy, who defeated Poland in the 2022 final.
This will be Ukraine’s second consecutive appearance at the World Championship. The team will open its campaign on September 14 at 09:00 (Kyiv time) against Belgium. Next, they will face Algeria (September 16, 09:00) and the defending champions Italy (September 18, 16:30).
Compared to the 2025 Nations League, outside hitter Oleksandr Nalozhnyi, middle blocker Andrii Cheleniak, and setter Serhii Yevstratov are not included. Returning to the squad is experienced middle blocker Maksym Drozd, who missed the previous tournament due to injury.
Ukraine roster for the 2025 World Championship:
Setters: Vitalii Shchytkov (“Epicentr-Podolyany”),Yurii Synytsia
Opposites: Vasyl Tupchii (“Barkom-Kazhany”),Danylo Uryvkin (“Epicentr-Podolyany”)
Outside hitters: Yevhenii Kisiliuk (“Rapid”, Romania),Illia Kovalov (“Barkom-Kazhany”),Dmytro Yanchuk (“Panathinaikos”, Greece),Tymofii Poluian (“Milon”, Greece)
Middle blockers: Maksym Drozd (“Epicentr-Podolyany”),Oleksandr Koval (“Epicentr-Podolyany”),Yurii Semeniuk (“Projekt Warszawa”, Poland),Valerii Todua (“Benfica”, Portugal)
Liberos: Oleksandr Boiko (“Epicentr-Podolyany”),Yaroslav Pampushko (“Barkom-Kazhany”)
Head coach: Raúl Lozano
World Championship 2025 – Group Stage – Group F
September 14, Sunday – 09:00 Ukraine vs Belgium
September 16, Tuesday – 09:00 Ukraine vs Algeria
September 18, Thursday – 16:30 Italy vs Ukraine
Tickets for Ukraine’s matches can be purchased on the official tournament website. Prices start from 364 UAH.
The winner of the tournament will receive USD 1,000,000, the runner-up USD 500,000, and the bronze medalist USD 250,000. At the 2022 World Championship, the prizes were 200,000, 125,000, and 75,000 USD respectively.
Individual awards have also been upgraded: the MVP will receive USD 100,000, while each member of the symbolic “Dream Team” will receive USD 50,000.
Reminder: Starting in 2025, the World Championship will be held every two years.
