The EuroVolley 2026 group stage concluded with four matches in Pools A and C, which determined the final standings before the knockout rounds. Italy finished undefeated after a dramatic victory over Slovenia, Greece recorded a third consecutive win, and in Tampere, Estonia delivered the surprise of the evening against Finland. This result allowed Belgium to finish at the top of Pool C.

POOL A: Italy remained undefeated, Slovenia forced them to play five sets

Italy finished first in Pool A after a 3:2 (25:19, 25:22, 27:29, 19:25, 15:9) victory over Slovenia.
Before the last match, the calculations were clear. Slovenia needed a 3:0 victory to displace Italy from the top, while a 3:1 result would make the final standings dependent on the point ratio. Any other result guaranteed the world champions first place.
The Italians settled this matter in the first two sets. In the first, they turned the tide after being down 10:12, and with Daniele Lavia and Yuri Romano in key roles, they reached 25:19. Romano finished the set with two consecutive aces.
Slovenia led 9:4 in the second set, but Italy gradually caught up. Simone Giannelli tied the score with an ace for 20:20, after which the hosts made the decisive move and won 25:22. At 2:0, first place was already secured for the "Azzurri."
Ferdinando De Giorgi made a serious rotation, but Slovenia did not give up on the match. The third set turned into a real battle. The Italians had opportunities to close the match, but the Slovenians survived, and a block by Klemen Šen brought them 29:27.
Slovenia continued with the same rhythm in the fourth set. Nik Mujanović, Šen, and Rok Bračko helped them to 25:19 and sent the match to a tie-break.
There, Italy once again showed the difference. The hosts led 5:2, then 9:5, and a serving run by Riccardo Sbertoli helped make the score 13:6. Kamil Rychlicki closed the match at 15:9.
Rychlicki, who entered in the third set, finished with 13 points and 54% attack efficiency. Lavia added 12 points in just the first two sets, and Romano – 11. Nik Mujanović was the top scorer for Slovenia with 19 points, and Klemen Šen finished with 16.

Greece finished with a third consecutive victory

Greece solidified their strong finish in the group with a 3:1 (25:17, 21:25, 25:22, 25:17) victory over Slovakia.
The Greeks had already secured their participation in the knockout rounds, but they had something to play for – third place. They started strong and led 9:3 in the first set, with Angelos Markou and Lampros Pittakoudis leading the attack to 25:17.
Slovakia responded in the second set. Strong serving, including aces from Jakub Ihnát, Július Firkaľ, and Branislav Hanusek, helped them turn the score around to 25:21.
Greece again took the initiative in the third set. The Slovaks came close at 21:19, but Alexandros Raptis ended their comeback attempt – 25:22. In the fourth, the Greeks already controlled the events and closed the match with 25:17.
Markou was the top scorer with 21 points, 20 of which came from attack with 69% efficiency. Pittakoudis added 17 points – 13 successful attacks at 73%, 3 blocks, and 1 ace. For Slovakia, Erik Gulák and Július Firkaľ each scored 14 points.
Thus, Greece finished third with three wins and 9 points, while Slovakia left EuroVolley without a single success.
Final standings in Pool A:

1. Italy – 5 wins, 0 losses, 14 points

2. Slovenia – 3 wins, 2 losses, 10 points

3. Greece – 3 wins, 2 losses, 9 points

4. Czech Republic – 3 wins, 2 losses, 8 points

5. Sweden – 1 win, 4 losses, 4 points

6. Slovakia – 0 wins, 5 losses, 0 points

GROUP C: Estonia deprived Finland of first place

The biggest comeback on the last day came in Tampere. In front of 9813 spectators at "Nokia Arena", Estonia defeated hosts Finland 3:2 (22:25, 25:21, 25:22, 20:25, 15:11).
The Finns came out with a chance to finish in first place and started as expected. Brothers Marttila and Joonas Jokela led the attack, and the hosts won the first set 25:22.
Estonia, however, had not come for a mere formality in the last match. In the second set, the visitors pulled ahead 16:10 and held their lead for 25:21.
The third set proved crucial for first place. Estonia led 13:9, but Luka Marttila went to serve and with three consecutive aces helped Finland equalize at 19:19. In the end, however, the Estonians were more stable again and took the set 25:22.
With this, Finland definitively lost the opportunity to finish at the top of the group.
The hosts did not give up. Niko Suihkonen, who replaced Noah Marttila, gave new impetus and Finland won the fourth set 25:20.
After more than two hours of volleyball, Estonia found more strength for the tie-break. Rene Teppan and Timo Ander Lõhmus led the visitors, who reached 15:11 and finished their participation with a prestigious victory.
Teppan was the top scorer for Estonia with 24 points, and Lõhmus added 16.

Belgium did its job and received a gift from Estonia

Before Finland – Estonia, the Belgians did everything that depended on them. The "Red Dragons" left no chances for Serbia and won 3:0 (25:19, 25:21, 25:16).
The Serbs started well and led 7:5 and 10:8 in the first set. After 17:17, however, Belgium stepped up the pace. Captain Sam Deroo and opposite Ferre Reggers took the initiative and the Belgians closed the set 25:19.
The second part was even until 18:18. Again, in the decisive rallies, Belgium was more precise, and Deroo led the team to 25:21.
At 0:2, Gheorghe Crețu decided to rest some of his key players for the eliminations. Belgium did not slow down and the third set became the most convincing in the match – 25:16.
Reggers finished with 16 points, and Deroo added 14.
The victory guaranteed Belgium at least second place. A few hours later, the news came from Finland – the hosts' defeat by Estonia put the "Red Dragons" at the top.
Final standings in Group C:

1. Belgium – 4 wins, 1 loss, 13 points

2. Finland – 4 wins, 1 loss, 11 points

3. Serbia – 3 wins, 2 losses, 7 points

4. Denmark – 2 wins, 3 losses, 7 points

5. Estonia – 2 wins, 3 losses, 5 points

6. Netherlands – 0 wins, 5 losses, 2 points
   With the last matches in Modena and Tampere, the group stage of EuroVolley 2026 concluded. From now on, there are no more calculations for points, set ratio, or point ratio – the tournament moves into direct eliminations.