The Azzurri are happy with Simone Giannelli (front right).

Clear opening victory: Giannelli & Co. in the best World Cup mood

The Men's Volleyball World Championship is now open for Italy: The first group match took place on Sunday, and Simone Giannelli and his team immediately showed enormous dominance.

September 14, 2025

From: det

After the women's world championship title, Italy's men now want to follow suit. The Azzurri enter the title fight in the Philippines as defending champions. On Sunday, they had a relaxed start against the heavy underdog Algeria: Simone Giannelli from Bolzano and his teammates prevailed clearly in three sets (25:13, 25:22, 25:17).

Italy's mood is good, not least because their key players are in great form. Alessandro Michieletto shone with 15 points, while Mattia Bottolo (13) and Yuri Romanò (11) also contributed.

Giannelli, as always, directed the game skillfully and even earned a point. Italy's next match is against Belgium on Tuesday, followed by a clash with Ukraine on Thursday.