Luciano Vicentin didn’t just deliver a 22-point masterclass against France — he lived a dream decades in the making.
With his performance, Argentina toppled the back-to-back Olympic champions, securing a spot in the Round of 16 at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, and Vicentin transformed from a star-struck teenager into the very hero he once idolized.
Once a lanky 15-year-old from Paraná, glued to highlight reels of Argentina’s volleyball greats, Vicentin now stood tall on the Taraflex with the same players. Not as a fan, but as their equal, chasing La Albiceleste’s first-ever World Championship.
For Vicentin, the victory was as personal as it was historic — a moment where boyhood dreams collided with reality, showcasing a rising star ready to carve his own legacy on the sport’s grandest stage.
“After this game against France, after they won two Olympics, so for us, I was watching highlights of some of the players who were there when I was 15 or 14 years old, so for me, this game is… Luciano at 14 or 15 years old was dreaming to play this kind of game, so I’m so happy,” said the 6-foot-6 spiker, who totaled 44 points throughout the pool phase.
“Now for this night, we will just enjoy, we will come back to the hotel, take the dinner and just take rest and think about the next game. This is like this, it’s only one step. We took [it] as a final, but every game is like this, one step more,” he added.
Against a powerhouse like France, Vicentin reminded the 32-team field of Argentina’s grit. Despite the challenges of coming from afar, La Albiceleste battled through every swing of momentum, ultimately sealing their berth in the Round of 16.
For the 25-year-old, standing toe-to-toe with the players he once idolized offered more than just motivation — it was proof that dreams, paired with courage and determination, can become reality.
“For me, sometimes I’m working with psychology and I put this in the table, so now I will play against some guys who were… It’s not the first time, but I was playing against some guys who I took as a hero when I was a kid, so sometimes it’s difficult, but we are players, we are a team and in the end, today we won, so we can keep this,” Vicentin shared.
“We are Argentina, we come from so far, so for us it was an important game. We took like this and we fight until the end. We were winning, we were losing, but in the end we just keep going and in the end we took the game. We are so happy for it,” he added.
Vicentin’s emergence, however, would not have been possible without the guidance of veteran setter and idol-turned-teammate Luciano de Cecco. At 37, De Cecco is chasing an elusive World title while embracing a mentorship role, helping mold Argentina’s next generation of stars.
“I try to help them and be part of this growing moment. I think the team is younger with Vicentin, Palonsky, Sanchez, everyone to put Argentina in its bid towards [the Olympics in] Los Angeles,” De Cecco said.
“I try to help them because I’ll stay there and enjoy the game and be part of the start of this group. For me, maybe the last, maybe not, but I think my time is down and I’ll continue to help them to be part of something special. And today, he played amazing so I am proud in my team.”
With Vicentin shining and De Cecco guiding, Argentina’s journey at the 2025 World Championship is far from over — and the fusion of youthful ambition with veteran leadership could be the spark that propels La Albiceleste toward volleyball history.
#WATCH: Once an avid fan of Argentina’s men’s volleyball team, Luciano Vicentin lives his dream by powering La Albiceleste’s upset of back-to-back Olympic champ France 🇦🇷🏐
📹 @ErnestTuazon /Tiebreaker Times#MWCH2025 pic.twitter.com/cIA1xnDnUr
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 18, 2025
