Overview

• Italy and Argentina meet for a quarterfinal berth on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. Italian time at Manila’s SM Mall of Asia Arena, with live coverage on Rai 2 and streaming on RaiPlay, DAZN and VBTV.
• Argentina arrives as Pool C winner after knocking out France and is led by veteran setter Luciano De Cecco, rated the tournament’s top playmaker by FIVB statistics.
• Italy advanced as Pool F runner-up following an up-and-down group stage that included a loss to Belgium and a 3-0 win over Ukraine in which Mattia Bottolo was decisive.
• Pre-match odds make Italy a slight favorite, with Italian victory priced around 1.47–1.50 against Argentina at roughly 2.45–2.50 across major bookmakers.
• Opposite Yuri Romanò said the team is ready but expects difficult stretches, stressing the need to stay united, focused and confident in a single-elimination setting.