The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team became one of the biggest surprises of this year's Volleyball Nations League (VNL 2025), not only with its performance on the court but also with its sharp rise in the FIVB world rankings. Moving up four spots – from 19th to 15th position – the 'Lions' achieved the greatest progress among all participants in the tournament, alongside Brazil. This was reported by the official VNL website.
📈 Bulgaria's Progress – From Underestimated Outsider to Stable Team
Bulgaria started VNL 2025 as No. 19 in the world rankings and finished in 15th place. In the tournament itself, the national team achieved its best-ever finish – 11th position in the final standings of the Nations League. The team gained 41.84 points and finished with 202.90 points – a growth that shows not only progress in results but also consistent form against higher-caliber teams.
| Team | Position before VNL 2025 | Position after VNL 2025 | Rise/Fall | Points Gained/Lost | Points after the tournament |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 19 | 15 | +4 | +41.84 | 202.90 |
| Brazil | 7 | 3 | +4 | +50.56 | 356.43 |
| Italy | 5 | 2 | +3 | +21.70 | 368.02 |
| Iran | 15 | 13 | +2 | +37.84 | 235.24 |
| Cuba | 12 | 10 | +2 | +11.35 | 254.40 |
| Turkey | 17 | 16 | +1 | +9.56 | 209.64 |
| China | 24 | 25 | -1 | +2.81 | 141.91 |
Although they didn't reach the finals (they were one win away from the top 8), the Bulgarians were consistent in their performance - especially in key matches against direct competitors in the rankings. The team showed maturity and effectiveness in defense and attack organization. The 41.84 points earned are the third-best result in the tournament after Brazil and Iran.
🌍 Other interesting trends in the World Ranking
Brazil, although they didn't reach the final, won bronze and moved up from 7th to 3rd place.
Italy, a finalist and silver medalist, overtook France, USA, and Slovenia and is now #2 in the world.
Iran and Cuba - two teams that traditionally fight for a spot in the top 10 - made solid jumps, with the Iranians even being close to participating in the finals.
Slovenia, despite reaching the semifinals, lost 3 positions and is now No. 7 - a result of losses against lower-ranked opponents.
France(5th place in VNL) also fell in the standings - from No. 2 to No. 4.
USAwere among the most severely affected - a drop of 3 positions (from 3rd to 6th place) and a loss of 46.37 points.
Netherlandsnot only dropped out of the VNL, but also out of the top 15 - six positions down, to No. 19.
| Team | Points Lost | Final VNL position | Ranking Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA | -46.37 | 12 | -3 |
| Netherlands | -38.02 | 18 | -6 |
| Slovenia | -36.52 | 4 | -3 |
| Serbia | -29.61 | 16 | -2 |
| France | -24.47 | 5 | -2 |
| Germany | -10.04 | 8 | 0 |
| Japan | -7.04 | 6 | +1 |
| Argentina | -4.74 | 9 | 0 |
| Poland | -1.17 | 1 (champion) | 0 |
Losses of points are not always proportional to the position in the final ranking. The champions from Poland lost points, while teams like Cuba and Iran gained, even without being on the podium. This reflects the complexity of the FIVB ranking formula – it takes into account not only the result, but also the value of the opponent. A loss to a lower-ranked team costs more than a loss to a top team.
Bulgaria leaves VNL 2025 not only with their heads held high, but also with proof of progress – both in sports-technical and statistical terms. Four positions up in the world ranking and convincing matches against strong opponents show that the rise is not accidental. If the trend continues, the team has the potential to attack the top 10 as early as next year, when it co-hosts Euro 2026.
