Iran delivered a stunning performance to defeat Serbia 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 24-26, 25-22, 15-9) in the round of 16 at the 2025 Volleyball World Championship.
The Serbians, who had impressed in the group stage with a dominant win over Brazil, twice led the match. But Iran showed remarkable resilience, fighting back each time and overwhelming their rivals in the decisive fifth set, leaving them with just nine points.
Top scorer Ali Hajipour powered Iran with 23 points, matched by Morteza Sharifi, while Serbia’s Dražen Luburić stood out as the match’s overall best scorer with 27 points, supported by Miran Kujundžić with 17.
Iran now advances to the quarterfinals, where they will face Czechia, who continued their fairytale run by sweeping Tunisia 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-23).
Cup tree provided by Sofascore
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