Italy made the biggest splash on the opening night of CEV EuroVolley 2026 Men, sweeping Sweden 3-0 in a rain-interrupted outdoor match at Piazza del Plebiscito in Naples.
The unusual setting and two weather delays gave the match added drama, but Italy stayed in control. Yuri Romanò led the scoring with 13 points, while Giovanni Sanguinetti added 12 and Daniele Lavia 11.
Finland also enjoyed a strong start, beating Denmark in straight sets in Tampere. Joonas Jokela and Luka Marttila each scored 17 points for the hosts.
France was pushed hard by Switzerland before closing out a 3-0 win in Cluj-Napoca. The second set proved the turning point, with France edging it 31-29. Théo Faure finished with 20 points.
Germany had to work harder, recovering from an opening-set defeat to beat Türkiye 3-1. Theo Mohwinkel scored 16 points, while Moritz Reichert and Erik Röhrs added 14 apiece.
In Sofia, defending champion Poland swept Portugal, while Ukraine opened with a 3-1 victory over Israel. Dmytro Yanchuk led Ukraine with 18 points.
Results
Italy 3-0 Sweden 25-22, 25-21, 25-17
Finland 3-0 Denmark 25-22, 25-17, 25-20
France 3-0 Switzerland 25-23, 31-29, 25-21
Germany 3-1 Türkiye 23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-19
Poland 3-0 Portugal 25-12, 25-18, 25-20
Ukraine 3-1 Israel 25-22, 25-19, 22-25, 25-19
