On a day when giants kept tumbling, Belgium delivered the final thunderclap.
The Red Dragons capped a dramatic string of upsets in the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship by stunning defending champion Italy in a late-night five-set thriller, 25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 21-25, 15-13, to secure a Round of 16 berth.
Ferre Reggers was unstoppable, exploding for 31 points on 27 attacks, two blocks, and two aces to power Belgium past the reigning world titlists. But beyond his scoring rampage, the 22-year-old admitted the team drew inspiration from the underdogs who shocked the tournament before their own match.
“I saw a lot of upsets in this tournament. They’ve been going around on social media, I think we’re one of them now. But yeah, there are a lot of interesting results,” Reggers said.
Earlier in the day, World No. 20 Finland toppled back-to-back Olympic champion France in a five-set classic. Meanwhile, Alas Pilipinas electrified the home crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena with a historic four-set win over African powerhouse Egypt.
That underdog energy carried into Belgium’s showdown with the Azzurri. There, Reggers and company denied Italy’s reverse-sweep bid to finally break an eight-year drought against their European rivals — their first victory since the 2017 European Championships.
“I think there’s some pressure when you play in Asia, there are a lot of fans. And the big teams, for sure in the beginning — it’s not like they underestimate the smaller teams — but they have to win because it’s a lot of pressure,” Reggers explained.
“If you’re only four in the pool, you have to win two of the three games. It’s difficult for them and gives us a chance to go for a stunner or an upset.”
Belgium’s triumph came with the steady guidance of veterans Sam Deroo, Pieter Coolman, and Stijn D’Hulst, whose leadership steadied the squad while Reggers and the younger core provided energy and firepower.
“In theory, it does not matter against which team you win, you need to win matches to go through the next round. But for the confidence boost and for my own self-confidence, it’s a crazy thing that we did this because now we realize that we’re close to the top of the world,” Reggers, who plays for Powervolley Milano in the Italian Superlega, reflected.
“Italy didn’t play bad today, but we just kept on going, kept on fighting. We kept the confidence, we kept the focus, and we kept going. A lot of confidence after this game.”
With the victory, Belgium not only secured passage to the knockout rounds but also proved that no favorite is safe in Manila — a World Championship where underdogs keep rewriting the script.
“We have three really experienced players, and they keep us composed. They take care of the tactical and the mental side, and the young guys just push and give energy,” Reggers added.
“And that’s the thing you need in a tournament like this. You need to keep going and going with confidence in every ball.”
#WATCH: Ferre Reggers leads Belgium to a stunning five-set upset over defending champ Italy in #MWCH2025! 🇧🇪🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/9vkNF04Bcz
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 16, 2025
