Team USA Advances to Round of 16 with Straight-Set Win Over Portugal in FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship

In a decisive Pool D match at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship held at the Mall of Asia Arena, Team USA defeated Portugal in straight sets, 25-19, 25-22, 25-17, on Monday night. This victory marked the Americans’ second dominant performance in the preliminary rounds, ensuring their progression to the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, Pool E witnessed a spectacular showdown as Bulgaria mounted a remarkable comeback against Slovenia. After losing the first two sets 19-25 and 14-25, Bulgaria rallied to take the next two sets 25-18 and 25-23, and clinched the match with a 15-13 win in the decisive fifth set.

Bulgaria’s triumph came on the heels of a hard-fought 40-38, 25-22, 25-20 victory over world No. 10 Germany just last Saturday. Bulgarian outside hitter Aleksandar Nikolov was instrumental in the comeback win against Slovenia, leading all scorers with 26 points. His tally included 23 successful attacks, one block, and two service aces, contributing significantly to the reverse-sweep victory.

These results intensify the competition as both teams look forward to the knockout stages of the tournament.