Italy made history by winning the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship, held in Sofia, with a thrilling comeback in the final match. On Saturday, Italy defeated Argentina 3-2 (23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 33-31, 15-9) to claim the first-ever U17 boys’ volleyball world title. Federico Argano led Italy with 29 points, while Manuel Zlatanov, the team’s captain, added 28 points, including the decisive final swing.
In the third-place match, Chinese Taipei secured bronze by overcoming Spain 3-2 (25-17, 16-25, 25-23, 21-25, 15-12). Huang Pin-Yen of Chinese Taipei shone as the tournament’s top scorer, contributing 30 points to the win.
Manuel Zlatanov of Italy was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. Zlatanov, alongside his teammates, was part of a standout lineup named to the U17 World Championship Dream Team. The team included:
- Best Setter: Pietro Valgiovio (Italy)
- Best Opposite: Federico Argano (Italy)
- Best Outside Hitters: Manuel Zlatanov (Italy) and Huang Pin-Yen (Chinese Taipei)
- Best Middle Blockers: Ivan Pavon (Argentina) and Martino Bigozzi (Italy)
- Best Libero: Valentin Yapura (Argentina)