A monumental encounter awaits in the 2025 FIVB Women`s World Championship final, as Türkiye and Italy, two of the most consistent forces in women`s volleyball, prepare to battle for the coveted gold medal. This highly anticipated match promises to be a historic clash, featuring the only undefeated teams in the tournament held in Thailand.
Türkiye, the reigning European champions, face Italy, the current Olympic champions and winners of the 2025 FIVB Women`s Volleyball Nations League. These European powerhouses will decide the new world champion, continuing a trend where European nations have claimed five of the last six titles. Italy boasts a rich history in the competition, having won in 2002 and securing podium finishes in the last two editions (silver in 2018, bronze in 2023). For Türkiye, this final marks their first-ever medal, surpassing their previous best of sixth place in 2010.
Photo credit: Volleyball World
The rivalry between Türkiye and Italy has intensified significantly in recent years, especially since Italian coach Daniele Santarelli took charge of Türkiye’s `Sultanlar` in 2023. Under Santarelli, Türkiye clinched the CEV EuroVolley Women title in 2023 and the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League. However, this World Championship final presents Santarelli`s toughest test yet, as Italy arrives in formidable form. They are on an incredible 35-match official winning streak, their last defeat dating back to June 2024 (a 2:3 loss to Brazil in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League). Within this impressive run, Italy has defeated Türkiye four times: 3:1 in the 2024 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League, two 3:0 victories at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and most recently, 3:2 in the 2025 FIVB Women’s Volleyball Nations League on July 12. Following their semi-final win against Brazil, which saw Sarah Fahr and Alessia Orro sustain ankle injuries, Ekaterina Antropova commented, “This is a team and character victory. We played for each other, looking each other in the eye and supporting each other in every phase of the match. This attitude was the key to the match, which was difficult, as we expected, but perhaps that`s precisely why it was wonderful to bring it home.”
Photo credit: Volleyball World
Meanwhile, Türkiye’s success has heavily relied on Melissa Vargas, the MVP of CEV EuroVolley Women 2023, who delivered a standout performance with 28 points in their semi-final comeback win against Japan, after dropping the first set 16:25. Setter Cansu Özbay expressed the team`s spirit: “We always put our souls on the court and we showed again who we are. I’m very proud of the team. It feels like a dream, I don’t think I can understand what we just achieved right now. But we’ll forget this match very soon and focus on the final.” Vargas leads the competition in scoring with 119 points, while Italy counters with their formidable scorer, Paola Egonu, who has amassed 107 points. The final is scheduled to begin at 14:30 CEST in Bangkok, following the bronze medal match between Brazil and Japan.
