The Men's Volleyball World Championship 2025 in the Philippines continues without a break. Just one day after the end of the round of 16, the first quarter-finals will be played, which will determine the first two semi-finalists. On Wednesday, Italy and Belgium will open the program, and in the evening, Poland will face Turkey.
Quarter-final 1: Italy – Belgium
The first quarter-final battle pits current world champion Italy against the tournament's surprise team, Belgium. The match will take place in Pasay City at 15:30 local time (07:30 UTC /10:30 Bulgarian time).
The two teams have already met once in this championship. In the group stage, Belgium achieved a historic 3:2 victory (25:23, 25:20, 22:25, 21:25, 15:13) – their first success over Italy since 2017. The 'Azzurri' last won against the 'Red Dragons' at EuroVolley 2023 with a clean 3:0.
Italy is among the most decorated countries in history – world champions in three consecutive championships (1990, 1994, 1998) and again in 2022, plus silver from 1978. In the Philippines, they started with decisive victories over Algeria and Ukraine, but lost precisely to Belgium and finished second in the group. In the round of 16, however, they demonstrated class with a 3:0 win over Argentina. Alessandro Michieletto is the leading scorer with 59 points.
Belgium has already equaled its greatest success from 1970, when they finished eighth. The team won Group F without a loss, and in the round of 16, eliminated Finland with a 3:0 victory. The team climbed to No. 15 in the world rankings. The strongest figure is Allianz Milano's opposite hitter Ferre Reggers – the tournament's best scorer with 93 points (Alex Nikolov is second with 90), and libero Gorik Langsogt impresses with 36 saved balls in defense.
Quarter-final 2: Poland – Turkey
The second semi-finalist will be determined in the evening from the match Poland – Turkey, also in Pasay City, starting at 20:00 local time (12:00 UTC /15:00 Bulgarian time).
Poland has a clear dominance in head-to-head matches – their last encounter in the Nations League 2025 ended 3:0 in their favor. The team is on a winning streak, won the VNL, tops the world rankings, and has three World Championship titles (1974, 2014, 2018) and two silver medals (2006, 2022). In the Philippines, the Poles easily progressed past Romania, Qatar, and the Netherlands, and in the round of 16, eliminated Canada with a 3:1 victory. Kamil Semeniuk is the leading scorer with 49 points.
Turkey has already improved its best ever ranking (11th place in 2022). In the group stage, they won all matches, conceding only one set against Libya. In the round of 16, they defeated the Netherlands 3:1 and are now No. 14 in the world rankings. Libero Berkay Bayraktar is No. 1 in defense with 37 saved balls, while Efe Mandıracı and Adis Lagumdžija are the leaders in aces (13) and points (72) respectively.
Schedule for Wednesday, September 24, 2025
| Time (local) | Time (Bulgarian) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 15:30 | 10:30 | Italy – Belgium |
| 20:00 | 15:00 | Poland – Turkey |
Wednesday promises a spectacular day – Italy will seek a rematch against the surging Belgium, while Poland will defend its favorite status against Turkey, who have already made history.
