Bulgaria 3-2 Italy — FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League 2026

Bulgaria defeated Italy 3-2 (18-25, 25-20, 25-23, 19-25, 15-9) in the FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League 2026 on 24 June 2026 in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The fifth set proved decisive as Bulgaria won 15-9, coming from a 2-2 set tie to seal the victory. A key run in the final set pushed Bulgaria past Italy, with the home side converting 26 opponent errors into crucial points.

Aleksandar Nikolov (#23) led Bulgaria with 19 points, including 17 attacks and 2 blocks. This result marked a shift from recent head-to-head history, as Italy had won the previous five meetings across both men's and women's competitions dating back to 2022.