Portugal came back from a set down to shock Cuba, 20–25, 25–22, 25–19, 25–19, in their Pool D opener at the 2025 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Saturday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, marking their first World Championship victory in nearly 23 years.
The world No.29 team leaned on a standout performance from 22-year-old outside hitter Nuno Marques, who finished with a match-high 19 points, including two aces and two kill blocks.
“It was the spirit of the team. The way we played together and adjusted our strategy after the first set really made the difference,” said Marques.
“We tried some new things, but then we played the way we practice and the way we want to play. And yeah, we were able to play really well and showed that.”
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Middle blocker Filip Cveticanin contributed 14 points, posting four blocks and a 71-percent attack efficiency. Meanwhile, opposite Jose Pinto also added 14 points with three kill blocks.
Portugal outblocked Cuba 11-7 and capitalized on better accuracy, committing only 23 unforced errors compared to Cuba’s 31.
Marques delivered the match-winning swing to seal the comeback.
Cuba, ranked No.10 in the world, matched Portugal with 48 successful spikes and edged them in aces, 7–5.
“Physically, Cuba is a team a lot stronger than us, so we had to put energy into everything we did. But this is the way we like to play, and it feels natural for us,” Marques added.
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Outside hitter Marlon Yant shared top scorer honors with Marques after posting 19 points, including two aces and two blocks.
Opposite Jose Masso added 12 points, while captain Miguel Lopez chipped in 11.
