Poland’s men’s national volleyball team defeated the United States 3-2 in the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League final to retain the title. The match was played on Sunday, August 2, at the Ningbo Beilun Sports and Arts Center in China. Poland won through set scores of 25-21, 23-25, 25-27, 25-23 and 15-10.
The final was decided in a fifth set
According to the official Volleyball World match record, the final between the United States and Poland began at 19:30 local time. Poland took the opening set 25-21. The United States responded by winning the second set 25-23 and the third 27-25, moving into a 2-1 lead.
Poland forced a deciding set by taking the fourth 25-23. It then controlled the fifth set 15-10 to complete a 3-2 victory. Volleyball World, USA Volleyball and Anadolu Agency published the same match score and set sequence, providing three records for the final result.
Poland successfully defended the crown
Volleyball World reported that Poland retained the VNL title won in 2025 and secured its third gold medal in the competition. The team previously won in 2023 and 2025. Sunday’s result therefore delivered a second consecutive championship and a third title overall.
The official competition report also named Polish outside hitter Tomasz Fornal as the most valuable player of the 2026 men’s VNL. The individual award was published by the tournament organizer separately from the final score.
The United States finished with silver
USA Volleyball said the U.S. men earned their first VNL medal since 2023 and finished second in Ningbo. Its official match report recorded a 65-59 American advantage in kills. Poland led the blocking count 12-8 and the service-ace count 8-4.
Jake Hanes led all players with 21 points for the United States, while Matt Anderson scored 20. Those figures come from the USA Volleyball match report. The American team won two consecutive sets after losing the opener, but Poland recovered to take the fourth set and the tie-break.
The final podium in Ningbo
Poland received gold and the United States took silver. Volleyball World also reported that Slovenia won the third-place match earlier on Sunday, collecting its first VNL bronze medal. The top three in the men’s event were therefore Poland, the United States and Slovenia.
Anadolu Agency independently reported the 3-2 final score and noted that Poland’s victory followed earlier titles in 2023 and 2025. Its report also recorded Slovenia’s 3-1 victory over Japan in the bronze-medal match.
The verified result
The core outcome is clear across the cited sources: Poland recovered after the United States moved ahead by two sets to one, won the fourth set and then closed the match in the fifth. The 3-2 victory allowed Poland to defend its VNL championship.
This report is limited to the official competition record, the U.S. federation match report and independent coverage from Anadolu Agency. It does not add transfer claims, roster speculation or predictions about future tournaments. The confirmed final score, set sequence, podium and official individual award form the factual scope of the article.
