Poland captured the European Volleyball Championship on Sept. 26, 2026, defeating France 3-1 (31-29, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16) in the final at the Forum of Assago in Milan. Guided by head coach Nikola Grbic, the Polish squad secured their third continental title in history, adding to previous championships won in 2009 and 2023. The victory also marked a measure of redemption two years after their defeat to the French in the Paris Olympic final.
The high-stakes clash at the Forum brought together the reigning continental holders and the Olympic champions. For France and head coach Andrea Giani, the defeat marked a continuation of tough finals luck, handing him his third career continental final loss as a coach, following prior defeats with Slovenia in 2015 and Germany in 2017. Meanwhile, the tournament’s third-place match earlier in the day saw Finland defeat Fabio Soli’s Slovenia 3-0 to capture the first European medal in Finnish volleyball history.
An Epic Opening Set Sets the Tone
The final opened with a relentless battle for momentum. Poland pushed early behind the attacking power of Wilfredo Leon, but unforced errors—including six service faults in the opening frame alone—allowed France to stay close. French setter Antoine Brizard distributed efficiently, involving the middle blockers, while Mathys Henno delivered a crucial block to tie the score at 16-16 before briefly putting the Blues ahead.
What followed was a breathless point-by-point struggle. Tuaniga Faure hammered heavy balls, while France missed multiple chances to close out the set, including a 27-25 advantage wiped out after a successful Polish video challenge on a net touch. Poland leaned on its block—registering four blocks to France’s one in the set—to stay alive. Tied at 29-29, Leon chalked up seven points in the opening frame alone, stopping a French attack before Marcin Komenda closed out the grueling 31-29 set.
Second-Set Separation and French Resilience
The crushing conclusion of the opening set altered the psychological dynamic of the match. While France struggled to recover its rhythm in reception, Leon and his teammates played with growing confidence. Poland raced out to a commanding advantage, stretching the lead from six points to a commanding 17-7 margin.
Although France mounted a late rally to narrow the gap, the deficit proved too large, and Poland comfortably closed out the second frame 25-19. Jakub Lemanski turned in a flawless performance during the set, converting 100 percent of his attacking attempts with three kills, two blocks, and an ace, while Leon added five more points to his tally.
Refusing to back down, the French side responded forcefully in the third set. Giani’s squad tightened its reception and fortified its block, surging ahead 7-3 and extending the lead to 12-6. Grbic turned to Tomasz Semeniuk off the bench to spark a Polish comeback, cutting the deficit to three points. However, Moussa Gueye contributed three blocks in the frame. France maintained its cushion, earning five set points before Henno sealed a 25-20 victory to force a fourth set.
Any French hopes of completing a full comeback were quickly extinguished in the fourth. Poland reasserted control early, neutralizing the French tempo and pulling away definitively to seal the set 25-16, capped off by Tomasz Fornal’s championship-winning mani-out attack.
Tournament Context and Qualification Roadmaps
The continental triumph carries significant implications beyond the podium in Milan. The European title secures a place at the Olympics. With the 2027 World Championship scheduled to take place in Poland, rival nations (except USA, Japan and Cuba, who are already qualified) must find one of the three spots for Los Angeles in the upcoming tournament.
For Italian fans who packed the Forum of Assago expecting a home-team run, the final offered high-level international competition even after the Azzurri’s early exit under head coach Ferdinando De Giorgi.
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