The final week of the preliminary round for the 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball Nations League is scheduled from July 16 to 20. Matches will be held in Gdańsk, Poland; Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Chiba, Japan.
The top seven teams from the league phase, along with China (as the host nation for the finals), will advance to the knockout stage. The competition is intense, with seven European national teams still in contention.
Heading into the final week, Brazil leads the standings with seven wins and one loss. Poland and Italy are close behind with six wins and two losses each, followed by Japan, France, Ukraine, and Argentina, all with five wins and three losses.
Germany, Cuba, Bulgaria, the USA, and Slovenia all currently have four wins and four losses. This tight race makes the final round highly unpredictable, with potential for significant shifts in the standings.
A highly anticipated rematch of last year`s Paris 2024 Olympic Games gold medal match between Poland and France will be a highlight of the week`s action in Gdańsk during the VNL 2025 preliminary phase.
Poland, one of the two national teams competing in Gdańsk and currently within the qualification zone for the Finals, enters the week in second place in the VNL standings. With six wins and 18 points, they are just two points behind Brazil. The team has shown strong intentions with the inclusion of star outside hitters Wilfredo Leon and Tomasz Fornal, and middle blocker Jakub Kochanowski, all making their first appearance in this edition of the FIVB Men`s Volleyball Nations League.
In Ljubljana, host nation Slovenia, Italy, and Ukraine will all be battling for a spot in the qualification group. Italy, in third place with six wins and 17 points, and Ukraine, in sixth place with five wins and 15 points, begin the week within the qualification zone for the Finals, with Ukraine notably excelling in their debut season.
Japan, Argentina, Germany, Turkey, and the United States are also vying for a knockout phase berth in the VNL, with their crucial matches set to take place at the Chiba Port Arena.
The final round of the 2025 FIVB Men`s Volleyball Nations League is scheduled to be held in Ningbo, China, from July 30 to August 3.
