Bulgaria's rising star Aleks Nikolov in action. Volleyball World
MANILA — Bulgaria is the first finalist of the Philippine-hosted 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship.
The World No. 9 team completed a 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22 victory over No. 17 Czechia in the semifinals to reach the championship round on Saturday in front of 6,896 spectators at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
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This marked the country's return to the world championship finals—55 years in the making—since reaching this phase in 1970, when they snagged the silver medal.
Bulgarian rising star Aleksandar Nikolov worked wonders for their offense, firing 31 points on 27 attacks, three aces and a block, tying the tournament-high output of Belgium's Ferre Reggers during the pool phase against Italy.
The Bulgarians will face the winner of Poland-Italy blockbuster semis faceoff for the gold medal.
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Meanwhile, Czechia's Cinderella run ends here at the Final Four, marking its best finish in the worlds.