2025: A Landmark Year for European Volleyball

2025 will be remembered as a landmark year for European Volleyball. Europe ruled the global stage, and this is no exaggeration. For the first time, every major world title was claimed by European teams. The achievement was unprecedented: all senior world championship crowns went to Europe.

Italy were crowned both women’s and men’s Volleyball world champions, while Latvia’s Tīna Graudiņa and Anastasija Samoilova, along with Sweden’s David Åhman and Jonatan Hellvig, captured the Beach Volleyball world titles. At club level, Savino Del Bene Scandicci and Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia sealed the year by lifting the FIVB Club World Championship trophies, completing a season of total European supremacy.

Beyond the gold medals, European teams collected the majority of podium finishes across Volleyball and Beach Volleyball, with even more nations celebrating historic breakthroughs and milestone achievements.

As 2025 goes down in history as the most successful year ever for European Volleyball, we look back at the greatest achievements and most significant milestones recorded by European teams over the past twelve months.

Italy’s historic double crown at the World Championships

Italy enjoyed an unforgettable national team season, capturing both the women’s and men’s world titles, becoming the second nation in history to achieve this rare double, after the Soviet Union, which last accomplished the feat in 1960.

At the FIVB Women’s World Championship Thailand, Italy’s women dropped just one set on the road to the semifinals, then overcame Brazil in a dramatic five-set match to reach the final, where they defeated Türkiye in another tie-break to claim their second world title (first won in 2002).

At the FIVB Men’s World Championship in the Philippines, Italy’s men followed a different path to glory. After finishing second in their pool – having suffered a defeat to Belgium – they hit top form in the knockout stage, not dropping a single set against Argentina, Belgium, and Poland. In the final Italy beat Bulgaria 3–1 in the final to defend their crown and secure a second consecutive world title (fifth overall).

European dominance at the Men’s World Championship

For the first time since 1966, the top four positions at the Men’s World Championship were all occupied by European teams. Italy won gold, Bulgaria took silver – matching their best result from 1970 and claiming their first medal since 2006 - emerging as one of the tournament’s biggest surprises. Poland claimed bronze, securing a fourth consecutive world championship medal and becoming the first European nation to do so since the Soviet Union’s five-medal streak from 1974 to 1990 (with Brazil the only other nation to match this in the meantime). Czechia finished fourth, returning to the top tier for the first time since 1970 and also surprising the Volleyball world after their first appearance since 2010.

Historic medal for Türkiye

The Women’s World Championship in Thailand was historic for Türkiye, who reached the final and won silver in only their sixth appearance at the event. On their way, they dropped just two sets – one against the USA in the quarterfinals and another against Japan in the semifinals – but fell to Italy in a dramatic tie-break in the final, becoming the sixth European nation to medal at the women’s world championship.

Strong participation and renewal at the World Championships

The 2025 World Championship was the first to feature 32 teams per gender, including 15 European men’s teams and 16 European women’s teams. The tournament saw notable comebacks and debut appearances. In the women’s event, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden made their first-ever appearances, with Slovenia reaching the last 16 and France – returning for the first time since 1974 – sensationally reaching the quarterfinals. In the men’s event, Czechia made a spectacular return, while Romania competed for the first time since 1982. Türkiye also reached a new milestone, advancing to the quarterfinals and finishing sixth in the world.

Europe led the way at VNL

European teams also shone at the 2025 Volleyball Nations League. For the first time since the inaugural edition in 2018, two men’s European teams met in the final, with Poland defeating Italy (in 2018, it was Russia vs. France). Italy’s silver in Ningbo, marked the men’s team’s first-ever VNL medal, while Poland secured their second gold, becoming the most successful men’s team in VNL history (2 golds, 1 silver, 3 bronzes). In the women’s final in Łódź, Italy claimed their third gold, tying with the USA for the most titles, while Poland took home their third bronze.

European clubs also rule the world

European clubs asserted their dominance at the 2025 FIVB Club World Championships. In the women’s event, two Italian clubs met in the final for the first time, with Savino Del Bene Scandicci claiming their maiden title, avenging their loss to Prosecco DOC Imoco Volley Conegliano in the 2025 Champions League final. This victory marked the 15th women’s world club title for a European team. In the men’s tournament, Sir Sicoma Monini Perugia once again underlined their dominance, claiming their third FIVB Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship title. The reigning CEV Champions League Volley 2025 winners went undefeated in Belém, sealing the crown with a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Osaka Bluteon in the final to become just the third club in history with three or more titles. Meanwhile, #CLVolleyM runners-up Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie secured their maiden bronze medal on the global stage.

Historic double European beach crown

The 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships in Adelaide made the year even more remarkable, as European teams claimed both the women’s and men’s titles for the first time. In the women’s event, Latvia’s Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova were unstoppable, dropping only a single set, in the grand final against the USA’s Nuss/Brasher. On the men’s side, Olympic champions David Åhman and Jonathan Hellvig completed their collection of golds, defeating compatriots Jacob Holting Nilsson and Elmer Andersson 2–0 in the final.

Latvia’s first-ever medal

Tina Graudina and Anastasija Samoilova not only won their first world championship medal but also secured Latvia’s first-ever medal in the event. Their victory marked only the second women’s world title for a European team, following Germany’s Ludwig/Walkenhorst in 2017.

History-making Sweden

David Åhman and Jonathan Hellvig won their first world title and made history by claiming Sweden’s first-ever Beach Volleyball world championship. Sweden became only the second country to have two teams face off in a World Championship final, following Brazil. However, Åhman/Hellvig became the first men’s team ever to reach two consecutive World Championship finals, a feat previously achieved only by women’s teams from the USA and Brazil.

European excellence

For the first time ever, four European teams reached the semifinals of the Beach Volleyball World Championship, with France’s Rotar/Gauthier-Rat and Germany’s Ehlers/Wickler completing the men’s top four. Åhman/Hellvig’s victory marked the fourth consecutive men’s world title for Europe, with teams from four different nations - Russia, Norway, Czechia, and Sweden - claiming gold and making this achievement even more remarkable.

Maiden medal for France

Téo Rotar and Arnaud Gauthier-Rat also made history at the 2025 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championship, winning France’s first-ever medal. They claimed bronze by defeating Olympic silver medalists Ehlers/Wickler.

European dominance at BPT 2025

European teams dominated the 2025 Beach Pro Tour season. Of the 97 events held worldwide across three levels – Elite, Challenge, and Futures – Europeans won 208 medals, claiming 71% of all 291 medals. In women’s events, European teams earned 29 golds, 35 silvers, and 29 bronzes; in men’s, they secured 36 golds, 40 silvers, and 39 bronzes. Men's supremacy is reflected in the world rankings, with the top three positions held by Europeans – Mol/Sorum, Åhman/Hellvig, and Holting Nilsson/Andersson – and four more European teams completing the top 10. In the women’s rankings, Graudiņa/Samoilova are the highest-ranked Europeans at fourth place.