Down goes Olympic king as Argentina boots out France

There’s no stopping the wave of upsets and surprises in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship 2025.

This time, Argentina landed one of the tournament’s biggest catches, eliminating Olympic gold medalist France in a pulsating five-setter, 28-26, 25-23, 21-25, 20-25, 15-12, to sweep Pool C at the close of the preliminary round on Thursday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

World No. 8 Argentina squandered a 2-0 lead but proved steadier than the heavily favored French in the marathon duel, securing an unblemished 3-0 slate that included earlier victories over Finland and South Korea.

The win ended France’s hopes of forcing a three-way tie at 2-1, instead handing Finland (2-1) the coveted No. 2 seed and the other Round of 16 ticket from Pool C.

Finland, ranked world No. 18, had already stunned world No. 4 France on Tuesday with a gritty 25-19, 17-25, 29-27, 21-25, 15-9 win—an upset that shifted momentum in the group.

With Pool C settled, Finland will now face Pool F leader Belgium (3-0) in the Round of 16 on Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, while Argentina awaits the Pool F second seed, still being contested by defending champion Italy (1-1) and Ukraine (1-1) at press time.

Luciano Vicentin spearheaded Argentina’s herculean triumph with 22 points built on 21 attacks, while Luciano Palonsky chipped in 17 markers. Skipper Agustín Loser, Bruno, and Pablo Sergio Koukartsev were also pivotal, scoring 12 and 10 points, respectively.

But the true architect of Argentina’s high-octane offense was veteran setter Luciano De Cecco, who, in his sixth World Championship campaign, dished out 45 excellent sets—solidifying his status as the tournament’s best playmaker heading into the knockout stage.

“For us, it was an incredible game. It felt like a final,” said 25-year-old outside hitter Vicentin. “We are Argentina, we come from so far away, so this was really important for us. We took it as a challenge and fought until the end. We were winning, we were losing, but in the end, we just kept going—and we won. We’re so happy about that.”

Argentina indeed showed poise under pressure, fending off France’s comeback attempt in the decider, where De Cecco orchestrated his offense like a chess master, distributing plays among Vicentin, Palonsky, Bruno, and Koukartsev.

Trevor Clevenot topscored for France with 17 points, while Theo Faure had 13. Barthelemy Chinenyeze and Nicolas Le Goff added 11 each, but it wasn’t enough to prevent a shocking early exit just months after reigning supreme on home soil in Paris.

Yacine Louati tallied nine, while top guns Jean Patry and Paris MVP Earvin Ngapeth struggled at the worst possible time, managing just seven points apiece in a performance that ultimately doomed the French campaign.