Seven matches from the Men's Nations League were played from Friday to the early hours of Saturday, leading to new shifts both in the battle for the Final Eight and at the bottom of the standings. Bulgaria returned to the qualification zone after an important victory over China, while Poland, Slovenia, and Turkey made significant strides towards the finals in Ningbo. Japan continued without a loss and now has 11 wins from 11 matches. At the same time, Argentina practically dropped out of contention for the finals, and Cuba achieved a valuable success in the battle for VNL survival.

USA "," Brazil 3:0(25:23,25:19,25:18)
The USA solidified their excellent form with a decisive victory over Brazil in Chicago. The Americans dominated in blocking with 12:5, recorded 8 aces against 3, and had an advantage in attack with 36:32. The big hero was DeFalco with 18 points, including an impressive 7 aces and 4 blocks, while Haines and Anderson added 13 and 12 respectively. This was the eighth win for the USA and cemented the team in second place in the standings with 25 points.

Cuba "," Argentina 3:2(17:25,25:19,22:25,25:21,15:12)
Argentina led twice in the score but failed to close out the match and allowed a painful comeback. Cuba equalized after the fourth set and showed greater resilience in the tie-break, which they won 15:12. The Cubans had an advantage in attack with 56:49, in blocking with 13:11, and in serving with 11:6, with Yant leading all scorers with 28 points. This was only Cuba's second victory, but it is extremely important in the battle for survival, while Argentina remained with 3 wins and 10 points and has almost lost its chances for the Final Eight.

Japan "," Belgium 3:0(25:20,25:22,25:16)
Japan continued its perfect streak and recorded its 11th consecutive victory in the tournament. The Belgians managed to be on par only in certain periods, but the leader controlled all three sets and did not allow a surprise. Reggers was the top scorer for Belgium with 20 points, but his efforts were not enough against the disciplined play of the hosts. Japan now has 27 points and a guaranteed spot in the Final Eight, while Belgium remained 15th and faces a decisive clash with Canada.

Turkey "," Ukraine 3:2(25:27,20:25,25:23,25:16,15:11)
Ukraine missed an excellent opportunity to take a decisive step towards the finals after leading 2:0 in sets but allowed a complete comeback. Turkey dramatically snatched the third set with 25:23, then took full control and equalized after a convincing 25:16. In the tie-break, the Ukrainians led 6:4, but a strong serving run by Turkey turned the tide and brought them success with 15:11. Turkey now has 7 wins and 19 points, while Ukraine only earned one point and dropped to seventh place.

Iran "," Slovenia 0:3(25:27,19:25,24:26)
Slovenia achieved its eighth victory and practically opened its doors to the Final Eight. The first and third sets were extremely contested, with the Iranians having their opportunities, but the Slovenians were more composed in the decisive moments. Možič finished with 19 points, Mujanović added 14, and Bračko contributed 9. Slovenia is fourth with 20 points, while Iran remained 13th and no longer has realistic chances to contend for Ningbo.

China "," Bulgaria 1:3(25:22,14:25,20:25,20:25)
Bulgaria overcame a shaky start and achieved an extremely important sixth victory in the tournament. After losing the first set, the "Lions" established dominance, with a key factor being Alex Nikolov's series of four consecutive aces at the beginning of the second part. Nikolov finished with 28 points, while Asparuhov and Bardarov added 15 each. This success moved Bulgaria to eighth place with 17 points, but since China has guaranteed participation in the finals as the host, for direct qualification, the Bulgarians must finish among the top seven.

Brazil "," Poland 0:3(22:25,26:28,19:25)
Poland took a huge step towards the Final Eight after decisively defeating one of their direct competitors. The first two sets were evenly matched, but the Poles showed stronger nerves at the end, and in the third set, they completely controlled the events. Semeniuk and Fornal scored 13 points each, while Darlan and Lucarelli finished with 12 each for Brazil. Poland climbed to third place with 8 wins and 23 points, while Brazil remained ninth and no longer holds its fate entirely in its own hands.

Bulgaria occupies eighth place, but at the moment, this does not secure qualification for the finals. China has a guaranteed quota as host, and if they remain outside the Top 8, they will take eighth place in the Final Eight. Therefore, the secure goal for the "Lions" is seventh position.