One of the great figures in the history of French volleyball, Benjamin Toniutti, received an emotional send-off from the national team in front of a full house at the "Adidas Arena" in Paris.
The ceremony was part of a special evening in which Olympic champion France defeated Brazil 3-0 (27:25, 25:21, 25:16) in their last test match before EuroVolley 2026.
After the first two sets, Toniutti appeared on the court, walking through a guard of honor formed by his now former national team teammates. The Parisian crowd greeted one of the symbols of the most successful generation in the history of French volleyball with thunderous applause.
The 36-year-old setter concludes his career with the national team after more than 400 matches for France. Toniutti is a two-time Olympic champion – from Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and a European champion from 2015.
Current France captain Antoine Brizard did not hide his emotions after the ceremony.
"It was emotional. It's hard to give a send-off that matches everything he gave to French volleyball. I don't know if everyone realizes how much he has given and how special he is even in the history of world volleyball. I don't know if there's anyone with a more impressive collection of accolades. And he's still playing. It's hard for me to find words – you can't imagine how much he meant to me," Brizard stated.
Head coach Andrea Giani also paid tribute to the long-serving setter and captain of "Les Bleus."
"Toniutti wrote the history of this French team. It's hard to find a player who is both so technically strong and such a good person. The emotion was huge for everyone," said the Italian specialist.
Stéphen Boyer, in turn, recalled the personal role Toniutti played at the beginning of his journey with the national team.
"This was a perfect evening with a lot of emotions. The most important thing was the send-off for Captain Toti. He deserved it. Personally, he helped me a lot when I took my first steps in the national team. Being here for his last appearance in front of the French public was very special," Boyer shared.
Toniutti is parting ways with the national team, but not with volleyball. After 11 seasons in the Polish PlusLiga, where he defended the colors of ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle and Jastrzębski Węgiel, the setter continues his club career with Ziraat Bankkart Ankara in Turkey.
The match itself against Brazil became a fitting end to the evening. France won 3-0 (27:25, 25:21, 25:16), with Mathis Enard being the top scorer with 16 points and 62% attack efficiency.
"Les Bleus" concluded their preparation for EuroVolley 2026 with four victories – against Belgium, USA, Slovenia, and Brazil, and only one loss – to Poland.
France begins the defense of its European title on September 10 in Cluj-Napoca against Switzerland.

photo:volleyworld.com