Finland upsets France in FIVB Volleyball World Championship

Finland stunned the reigning Olympic champion France in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, securing their first win and keeping their Round of 16 hopes alive.

Finland's victory was fueled by a renewed sense of determination following their previous loss to Argentina, as noted by team captain Antti Ronkainen.

Joonas Mikael Jokela led Finland with 20 points, while Luka Marttila and Petteri Tyynismaa contributed 15 and 13 points respectively.

France's Jean Patry scored 23 points, but his efforts were not enough to prevent the loss, leaving France with a 1-1 record alongside Finland.

The win complicated Group C's standings, with Argentina still leading at 2-0 but not yet guaranteed a Round of 16 spot due to potential tie scenarios with France or Finland.

Argentina defeated France in a five-set match, eliminating the reigning Olympic champions from title contention with a 1-2 record in Group C.

Finland advanced to the Round of 16 as the group's second seed with a 2-1 record.

France's last-gasp effort was led by Trevor Clevenot with 15 points and Theo Faure with 13 points, but they could not prevent the loss.

France's team captain Benjamin Toniutti expressed that the competition has become tougher following their upsets in the championship.

Toniutti noted that the volleyball world is now at a super high level, with not much difference between teams.