France began its participation in the Volleyball Nations League 2026 with a prestigious 3:2 (19:25, 29:27, 23:25, 25:23, 16:14) victory over world champion Italy in a match from the first week of the tournament, played in Ottawa (Canada). The first referee of the match was Ivaylo Ivanov.
Despite the defeat, the "Azzurri" maintained their second place in the FIVB world rankings. According to current calculations, Italy lost 8.09 points from its assets and now has 385.02 points, while France added the same asset and reached 328.22 points, but remains in fourth position. The difference between the two teams continues to be significant and did not lead to a change in the top of the ranking.
Team statistics show how balanced the clash was. Italy finished with an advantage in attack (58 against 54 points), on serve (10 against 4 aces), and in total points scored (114 against 112). The French, however, compensated with better play on block (13 against 10 points) and forced the opponent to commit more errors.
Team Statistics
| Category | France | Italy |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | 54 | 58 |
| Block | 13 | 10 |
| Serve | 4 | 10 |
| Points from opponent's errors | 41 | 36 |
| Total points | 112 | 114 |
France lagged behind in most key indicators, but won six more points from blocks and from Italian errors combined. These elements proved decisive in the dramatic tie-break.
Individually, Italy's opposite Kamil Rychlicki scored 30 points and was the highest-scoring player on the court. For the winners, Clevenot finished with 17 points, and Mathis Henno added 15.
The statistics highlight that the French distributed their attacking power more evenly and found a way to snatch victory in the crucial moments of the fourth and fifth sets.
Photo:volleyballworld.com
