Portugal was the first team to arrive in the Philippines for the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship, and that early preparation proved crucial in its stunning upset of world No.10 Cuba in the opening match.
Ranked 29th in the world, the Portuguese squad landed in the Philippines on the evening of September 1, giving them nearly two weeks to acclimate to the weather and the playing conditions.
The next team to arrive was Romania, which landed on September 4, leaving Portugal with ample time to prepare for its first World Championship appearance since 2002.
That preparation paid off on Saturday as Portugal shocked the heavily-favored Cubans in four sets, 20-25, 25-22, 25-19, 25-19, at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, earning the full three points in Pool D.
“It was a really big trip, so physically it was hard to recover. These almost two weeks made the difference for us to feel ready for the competition, and now we are feeling fresh,” said 22-year-old Nuno Marques, who powered the Europeans with 19 points.
(C) Volleyball World
Marques, who was not even born when Portugal last played in the World Championship, said the team feels determined to give everything it has in this global tournament, especially after ending a 23-year drought.
Portugal’s campaign is far from over, as it still has to face world No.5 USA and No.42 Colombia in Pool D. Only the top two teams in each pool will advance to the Round of 16, where the knockout stage begins.
“It means a lot because this is one of the best competitions in the world — the big stage everyone wants to play in. We are among those who want to compete here, and of course, we want to keep playing and trying to win,” Marques added.
On how they managed to turn the match around after dropping the opening set, he credited their unity and adjustment.
“It was the spirit of the team — the way we played together, the way we changed our approach after the first set. At first, we tried different things, but then we just played the way we do in practice,” he said.
“We can play really well, and we showed that today.”
#WATCH: 22-year-old Nuno Marques, who led 🇵🇹 Portugal’s four-set upset of 🇨🇺 Cuba with 19 points, is proud to represent his country in the #MWCH2025—Portugal’s first World Championship since 2002, before he was even born! 🇵🇹🏐
🎥 @justinvalencia_ /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/WhowkWllT6
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) September 13, 2025
