Why Poland Are Still The Favorites | Sideout

Poland, Italy, France. That is my order for EuroVolley 2026, and the case for each one. 0:00 – Intro 0:21 – FRANCE 1:19 – ITALY 2:29 – POLAND 4:11 – OTHER CONTENDERS 4:52 – Outro Poland are the number one team in the world, back-to-back Nations League champions, and they came into this as the holders. They have lost one match here — and in that match they scored more points than the team that beat them, 120 to 115. Italy have the better argument on paper. World champions, six wins from six, and they have beaten Poland at each of the last two World Championships — the 2022 final and the 2025 semifinal. They also have the easier half of the draw. Why they are still second is in the video. France are the Olympic champions in Tokyo and again in Paris, and the team they beat 3–0 in the Paris final was Poland. Their problem is the route: Romania first, who already came back from two sets down to beat them in the group, and then almost certainly Poland. Also here — why Slovenia and Germany are off the list. Slovenia are fourth in the world and beat Poland in five sets at the Nations League this summer. Germany just knocked the hosts out of their own tournament from two sets down, and they play Poland in the quarterfinal. Round of 16: Poland 3–0 Latvia · Germany 3–2 Bulgaria · France 3–0 Portugal · Romania 3–0 Ukraine · Italy 3–0 Denmark · Finland 3–2 Greece · Belgium 3–1 Czechia · Slovenia v Serbia was being played while this was recorded. Quarterfinals September 22 in Sofia and September 23 in Turin. Semifinals in Milan on September 25, final on September 26. SOURCES Pool standings, the full bracket and every group-stage result, attributed to CEV: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Me... Poland 3–0 Latvia and Germany 3–2 Bulgaria, with set scores: https://mezha.net/eng/news/ca923f2e_p... Germany's comeback from two sets down, and Anton Brehme on Poland: https://worldofvolley.com/latest_news... Blocks, aces and service errors in Germany v Bulgaria — CEV match report: https://www.cev.eu/articles/volleybal... Italy 3–0 Denmark, and the Finland quarterfinal: https://www.federvolley.it/cev-enel-e... Poland retain the Nations League over the United States, Tomasz Fornal named MVP: https://en.volleyballworld.com/volley... Italy beat Poland in the 2025 World Championship semifinal: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/fivb... Slovenia beat Poland in five sets on the way to Nations League bronze: https://en.volleyballworld.com/volley... Poland's full record — 25 European Championships, two titles, five runners-up finishes between 1975 and 1983: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poland_... Tine Urnaut ruled out of the tournament, Klemen Čebulj called up: https://worldofvolley.com/latest_news... Sideout is my weekly men's volleyball show — EuroVolley, VNL, SuperLega, PlusLiga, SV.League and NCAA. New video every Sunday.