FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship:
Iran stuns Serbia in resounding triumph to advance to quarterfinals
Iran’s men’s volleyball team on Tuesday pulled off a breathtaking comeback in Manila, outlasting Serbia 3-2 in a five-set thriller to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship.
In a clash that had everything—thundering spikes, monster blocks, and nerve-jangling rallies—Roberto Piazza’s men showed grit and composure when it mattered most.
Despite dropping the first and third sets (23-25, 24-26), Iran roared back with relentless serving and powerful spikes to take the second, fourth, and decisive fifth (25-19, 25-22, 15-9).
The momentum swung like a pendulum in the early sets. Serbia’s power game looked dominant, but Iran’s pressure from the service line forced errors and cracked the European defense.
By the time the match reached the do-or-die fifth, the Iranians had seized full control—storming out to an early lead and never looking back as Captain Morteza Sharifi and his teammates sealed the deal with emphatic kills.
In a pre-match poll on Volleyball World, over 80% of fans backed Serbia to advance. But in this “World Cup of surprises,” Iran proved that no favorite is safe.
Now, with momentum on their side, Iran turns its eyes to the quarterfinals, where they will face the Czech Republic on Thursday.