Overview

• Italy closed out Bulgaria 25-21, 25-17, 17-25, 25-10 to retain the world title won in 2022.
• Opposite Daniele Romanò scored 22 points, while Mattia Bottolo added 19 and delivered seven aces, including 10 points in the final set.
• It is Italy’s second consecutive championship and fifth overall, with coach Ferdinando Di Giorgi involved in each as a player in the 1990s and as coach in 2022 and 2025.
• Bulgaria reached the final unbeaten for just its second appearance in a title match since 1970, driven by top scorer Aleksandar Nikolov and 18-year-old setter Simeon Nikolov.
• In the semifinals, Italy swept Poland 3-0 and Bulgaria beat the Czech Republic 3-1, with Poland later defeating the Czechs 3-1 for bronze.