Poland and France will meet in the EuroVolley 2026 final on Saturday night at the Unipol Forum in Assago, Milan, after both cruised through their semifinal matches on Friday evening.
The reigning European champions Poland swept Slovenia 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-18) in the first semifinal, while France, led by head coach Andrea Giani, defeated tournament dark horses Finland 3-1 (25-17, 18-25, 25-18, 25-15) in the second.
A sea of red-and-white Polish fans descended on the Assago arena for the opener, and their team delivered a clinical display. Slovenia, who had been one of the tournament's most consistent sides, struggled to contain Poland's serving and blocking throughout. Tine Urnaut's side kept things tight in the opening two sets, but Poland's depth and composure under pressure proved decisive. Kamil Semeniuk and Wilfredo Leon anchored the Polish attack, while the blocking unit shut down Slovenia's primary weapons. Slovenia's Klemen Čebulj and Miha Fabjan fought hard but could not find a way past the Polish wall. Poland's dominance was evident in the final set, which they controlled from start to finish to book their place in the final.
France, the double Olympic champions, were made to work harder by a spirited Finland side that had been the breakout story of the tournament. Finland had already stunned Italy in the quarterfinals, eliminating the world champions in a dramatic five-set thriller, and they showed they were no pushovers again. After France took the first set comfortably at 25-17, Finland roared back to claim the second 25-18, energized by a raucous contingent of Finnish supporters. But France's experience told in the end. Giani's side regrouped and controlled the final two sets 25-18, 25-15, with Earvin Ngapeth and Jean Patry leading the scoring charge.
The final on Saturday at 21:00 carries extra significance: the winner also secures a direct qualification spot for the Paris 2028 Olympic Games. Poland, seeking to add the European crown to their 2023 World Championship title, will start as slight favorites. France, however, have a pedigree in big matches that few can match, with Olympic golds in both 2020 and 2024 under their belt.
Earlier on Saturday, Slovenia and Finland will contest the bronze-medal match at 17:00, both looking to cap their impressive tournament runs with a podium finish.
Sources
https://www.lastampa.it/sport/volley/2026/09/25/news/eurovolley_a_milano_finalissima_polonia_francia_per_il_bronzo_slovenia_e_finlandia-15749552/ https://www.oggisportnotizie.it/2026/09/programma-eurovolley-maschile-2026-semifinali-25-set/
