Arthur Bento delivered a standout 20-point performance as Brazil defeated Germany 3-1 to conclude the Men's Volleyball Nations League 2025 Preliminary Phase on top of the standings. The Brazilian squad finished with an impressive 11-1 record and 32 points, securing their position as the team to beat heading into the knockout rounds.
Brazil now advances to the quarterfinals where they'll face hosts China in Ningbo. Bento wasn't alone in his offensive contributions, with teammates Alan Souza and Lukas Bergmann adding 13 points each to the winning effort.
Despite the loss, Germany showed competitive spirit through strong showings from Erik Rohrs and Filip John, who tallied 17 and 16 points respectively. Unfortunately for the Europeans, this defeat officially ended their Finals aspirations.
"We executed our game plan perfectly today," a team representative might have noted after the match. "The focus now shifts to our quarterfinal matchup against China."
Interestingly, the day's volleyball action also featured a nail-biter between Argentina and Turkiye. Pablo Kukartsev starred with a remarkable 29-point performance as Argentina edged out their opponents 3-2 (18-25, 25-21, 25-19, 17-25, 17-15) following a controversial video challenge in overtime.
Turkiye's Adis Lagumdzija and Efe Mandiraci put up a valiant fight, contributing 23 and 20 points respectively. But it wasn't quite enough.
With Brazil cementing their dominance and Argentina showing their resilience in tight situations, could we be looking at a potential finals matchup between these South American volleyball powerhouses?
