Poland defended their European crown with a convincing 3-1 (31-29, 25-19, 20-25, 25-16) victory over France in the EuroVolley 2026 final at the Unipol Forum in Assago, Milan, on Saturday evening. The win secures Nikola Grbic's side a third continental title and direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The final lived up to its billing as a clash between the sport's two pre-eminent forces. Poland entered as reigning European champions and 2026 Volleyball Nations League winners, while France arrived as back-to-back Olympic gold medallists under Andrea Giani. In the end, Poland's depth and experience proved decisive.
A tense opening set went Poland's way 31-29, with both sides trading blows in a tight contest that went deep into extra points. Poland seized control in the second set, winning 25-19 behind an aggressive serving game that disrupted France's reception patterns. France rallied to take the third set 25-20, but Poland extinguished any hopes of a comeback with a dominant 25-16 fourth set to seal the title.
Bartlomiej Boledz led the Polish scoring with 16 points, including 15 spikes and a service ace. Wilfredo Leon and Tomasz Fornal contributed 13 points apiece, while substitute Kamil Semeniuk proved influential with 10 points after entering the match. For France, outside hitter Mathis Henno was the game's top scorer with 20 points, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
Poland dominated the attacking statistics, out-hitting France 57-52 and holding an 8-6 advantage in aces and a 9-8 edge in blocks. The victory marks Poland's third European championship title, following their triumphs in Turkey in 2009 — where they also beat France in the final — and in Italy in 2023.
The result caps a dominant year for Polish volleyball, with the European title adding to their 2026 Nations League crown. The direct Olympic qualification for Los Angeles 2028 ensures that Poland's golden generation will have the chance to chase a second Olympic gold, following their historic victory at Montreal 1976.
Sources
- Sportpress24 — Europei Volley 2026, la Polonia è ancora campione: Francia ko 3-1: https://www.sportpress24.com/2026/09/27/europei-volley-2026-la-polonia-e-ancora-campione-francia-ko-3-1/
- Eurosport Italia — Francia-Polonia 1-3 in finale! La Polonia cala il bis e vince il secondo oro consecutivo dopo quello del 2023: https://www.eurosport.it/pallavolo/europei/2026/francia-polonia-1-3-in-finale-la-polonia-cala-il-bis-e-vince-il-secondo-oro-consecutivo-dopo-quello-del-2023_sto23340642/story.shtml
