Overview

• Italy reached the last four by sweeping Argentina and then avenging its pool defeat to Belgium, 3–0 in both knockout rounds after a 15–13 tiebreak loss earlier.
• Poland arrives unbeaten at 5–0 with only two sets conceded, having routed Turkey 3–0 in the quarterfinals (25–15, 25–22, 25–19).
• The pairing extends a recent run of title matches between the sides: Italy won the 2022 Worlds, Poland took Euro 2023 and the 2025 VNL final.
• Poland features coach Nikola Grbic with heavy-hitting stars Kamil Semeniuk, Wilfredo Leon and Bartosz Kurek, while Ferdinando De Giorgi’s Italy leans on Simone Giannelli’s control plus improved serve and block-defense.
• The semifinal is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 27 in Manila with the exact start time still to be set, as officials weigh 08:30 or 12:30; Italian middle Giovanni Maria Gargiulo says the earlier loss sharpened the team’s focus.