Latest updates from the Men's Volleyball World Championship: Round of 16 finalized, shocking eliminations for France, Brazil, and Japan, with China finishing last.

On September 19th Beijing time, the group stage of the Men's Volleyball World Championship ended, and all sixteen qualifiers were determined. While many top teams advanced, there were three surprising exits: Brazil, France, and Japan, ranked third, fourth, and fifth globally, all failed to progress beyond the group stage. The Chinese team, hampered by their capabilities, suffered three straight defeats and were eliminated.

This World Championship group stage saw three major surprises. Japan, ranked fifth globally before the tournament, was swept 3-0 by Turkey and Canada in the first two rounds, losing twice and exiting early. Their 3-0 victory over Libya in the third round was meaningless as Japan's performance was very poor overall.

France, the reigning Paris Olympic champions ranked fourth before the event, started strong by defeating South Korea 3-0 in the first round. However, they faltered afterwards, losing tightly contested five-set matches 2-3 against Finland and Argentina. These consecutive losses placed them third in their group and led to their elimination.

Brazil, ranked second in the world before the tournament, had the worst fate. They won the first two matches by beating China 3-1 and sweeping the Czech Republic 3-0, securing two victories and nearly guaranteeing a spot in the round of 16. But in the third round, Brazil surprisingly lost 0-3 to Serbia, a lower-ranked team, putting themselves in a dire position. Not only did they fail to advance, but they also faced a high risk of elimination, leaving their fate dependent on the results of the Czech Republic and China. Unfortunately, China also lost 0-3 decisively, suffering a third consecutive defeat, which resulted in Brazil being ruthlessly eliminated.

In the match against the Czech Republic, the Chinese men's team had no advantage throughout the game, being completely dominated by their opponents. They struggled both offensively and defensively, worsening as the match went on, and ultimately lost 0-3, ending the tournament with three straight losses. Their only consolation was that they were eliminated alongside Brazil.

The full list of the round of 16 is now confirmed. Europe showed strong performance, claiming 11 of the spots. Asia had only Iran advance, Africa only Tunisia, and the Americas had three teams: Canada, the United States, and Argentina.

Written by / Sports Novel