The weekend begins with huge anticipation for all volleyball fans. Today, Saturday, the semifinals of the Men's Volleyball World Championship – 2025 will be played in the Philippines. By the end of the day, we will know which two teams will compete for the gold on Sunday.
⚠️ Important for viewers in our country – the matches start at a different time than previous encounters, so set your alarms!
Czech Republic – Bulgaria
🕘 09:30 AM Bulgarian time - live on BTV and Max Sport
Head Referee - Vladimir Simonović (Switzerland)
The 'Lions' are on the verge of history – a first final since 1970 is a completely realistic goal. Bulgaria is undefeated so far and reached the semifinals after a memorable comeback victory over the USA from 0:2 to 3:2.
Key figures in the squad:
Aleksandar Nikolov (21 y.o.) – tournament leader with 119 points and No. 1 among attackers.
Alex Grozdanov – captain and second among blockers.
Simeon Nikolov (18 y.o.) – third best setter in the rankings.
History is favorable: Bulgaria won the last two matches against the Czech Republic at major championships (2015 and 2021). In both cases, the matches ended with five-set thrillers in our favor.
However, the Czech Republic is the sensation of the tournament. They eliminated Serbia and Iran, with opposite hitter Patrik Indra being the leading scorer with 85 points. Libero Milan Moník is third in the ranking for digs in defense.
Poland – Italy
🕐 01:30 PM Bulgarian time
The evening match in the Philippines is a true final before the final – world No. 1 and No. 2 meet for a place in the title battle.
Poland – three-time champion, with leaders Bartosz Kurek and Kamil Semeniuk.
Italy – reigning world champion, led by Alessandro Michieletto.
The last final between them was in 2022, when Italy took the crown. But just two months ago in the Nations League, the Poles won convincingly 3:0.
Bulgaria faces a historic chance to reach the gold medal match of a World Championship – something that hasn't happened in over half a century. With a young, ambitious, and success-hungry squad, with rising stars like Aleksandar Nikolov and Simeon Nikolov, and experienced leaders like Grozdanov, our team has every reason to dream. Against the Czech Republic, there is no room for underestimation – but also no room for fear. Only one victory separates us from the dream!
