Estonia ended the group stage of the 2026 European Men’s Volleyball Championship with a dramatic five-set victory over Finland in Tampere, allowing Belgium to finish top of Pool C.
In front of 9,813 fans at Nokia Arena, Estonia defeated the hosts 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11). Belgium had earlier swept Serbia 3-0 (25-19, 25-21, 25-16), and Finland’s defeat confirmed the Red Dragons as group winners, with the Finns finishing second.
After more than two hours of play, Estonia found gear in the tie-break. Lohmus and Teppan drove the visitors to a 15-11 victory, with Teppan finishing on 24 points and Lohmus adding 16.
“We wanted so much to win again, in front of this great public, and so we did everything we could. I am so happy and proud of my team,” Lohmus said.
The result brought Pool C to a close as the 24-team European Championship moves into its knockout phase. The top four sides from each of the four six-team groups advanced to the last 16.
After group matches in Naples and Modena, Sofia, Tampere and Cluj-Napoca, the round of 16 and quarterfinals will be played in Sofia and Turin. Milan will stage the semifinals and medal matches.
EuroVolley Men 2026 – Round of 16
September 19 – Sofia
- Poland vs Latvia
- Germany vs Bulgaria
September 20 – Sofia
- Ukraine vs Romania
- France vs Portugal
September 20 – Turin
- Finland vs Greece
- Italy vs Denmark
September 21 – Turin
- Belgium vs Czechia
- Slovenia vs Serbia