Prepare for a monumental clash in women`s volleyball as two titans, Türkiye and Italy, face off in the final of the 2025 FIVB Women`s World Championship. This highly anticipated match promises to be an unforgettable chapter in the sport`s history, featuring two of the most consistently dominant teams in recent years.
On one side stands Türkiye, the reigning European champions. On the other, Italy, current Olympic champions and winners of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League. These two European powerhouses are the only undefeated teams in the tournament held in Thailand, and their encounter will decide the new world champion, continuing a trend where European nations have claimed five of the last six titles.
Italy brings a rich history of success to the final, having previously won the title in 2002 and securing podium finishes in the last two editions – silver in Japan 2018 and bronze in Netherlands/Poland 2023. Türkiye, while a formidable opponent, is already celebrating their first-ever medal in this competition, significantly improving upon their previous best of sixth place in 2010.
The rivalry between Türkiye and Italy has intensified dramatically in recent years, particularly since Italian coach Daniele Santarelli took the helm of the Turkish “Sultanlar” in 2023. Under Santarelli`s guidance, Türkiye triumphed at the CEV EuroVolley Women in 2023 and secured another victory at the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.
However, this World Championship final presents Santarelli with his most formidable challenge yet, as Italy arrives in exceptionally strong form. The Italian squad boasts an impressive winning streak of 35 official matches, with their last defeat occurring in June 2024 (2:3 against Brazil) during the FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League.
During this remarkable 35-match unbeaten run, Italy has defeated Türkiye four times: a 3:1 victory in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, two dominant 3:0 wins at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and most recently, a tight 3:2 win in the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League on July 12.
“This was a win forged by team unity and character,” said Ekaterina Antropova after their semi-final victory against Brazil, which saw key players Sarah Fahr and Alessia Orro sustain ankle injuries. “We fought for each other, maintaining eye contact and unwavering support throughout every phase of the match. This collective attitude was crucial, making a difficult game wonderfully ours to claim.”
Conversely, Türkiye’s journey to the final heavily relied on the exceptional performance of Melissa Vargas, the MVP of the 2023 CEV EuroVolley Women. Vargas single-handedly notched 28 points in their semi-final comeback against Japan, a match where they rallied after dropping the first set 16:25.
Setter Cansu Özbay shared her pride, stating, “We always leave our hearts on the court, and we’ve once again shown our true strength. I am incredibly proud of this team. It feels surreal; I don’t think I’ve fully grasped what we’ve accomplished. But we’ll put this match behind us quickly and concentrate entirely on the final.”
Individually, Vargas leads the competition’s scoring charts with 119 points, while Italy’s Paola Egonu is also in stellar form, contributing 107 points.
The grand final is scheduled to commence at 14:30 CEST in Bangkok. Before that, Brazil and Japan will compete for the bronze medal, having both suffered losses in their respective semi-final matches.
