DOHA – France and Iran have booked their places in the final of the FIVB Volleyball Boys' U17 World Championship Qatar 2026, after overcoming Brazil and Argentina, respectively, in two fiercely contested semifinals at the Women's Sports Arena, Aspire Zone on Friday. The two encounters showcased remarkable intensity, outstanding technical quality and thrilling competition, setting up an eagerly awaited showdown for the world title on Saturday.
France secured their place in the final after defeating Brazil 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-21) in an absorbing contest in which both teams produced high-quality volleyball and remained closely matched for long periods at the Women's Sports Arena, Aspire Zone.
Speaking after his team's qualification for the final, France head coach Philippe Marie Salvan expressed his delight at the performance, saying: "We are very happy with the performance we produced against Brazil. They are a very strong team with exceptional players. Today, our dream became a reality. Before this championship, we played three friendly games against Brazil and lost all three, so today's victory is extremely important for us. Now, we have to continue working hard, prepare well for the final and give everything we can to win it."
French standout Jaden Ebagne Yon described the qualification as the result of an outstanding team effort, saying: "We played an exceptional game against a great team like Brazil, and we are very happy to have won and reached the final. The whole team played with a good balance between attack and defence, and we were able to make the difference when it mattered. Now, we are ready to face either opponent, whether Argentina or Iran, in the final, and we are looking forward to the challenge with maximum focus and ambition."
In a thrilling Asian-South American semifinal showdown, Iran maintained their outstanding form and asserted their authority throughout the game, sweeping Argentina 3-0 (25-19, 29-27, 25-13) to book their place in the final. Iran will now turn their attention to the ultimate challenge as they pursue world glory and the championship crown.
The championship will reach its climax on Saturday at the Women's Sports Arena, Aspire Zone, with Brazil facing Argentina at 14:00 in the South American showdown for third place, followed by the eagerly awaited final between France and Iran. With the world title at stake, the two finalists will battle for a place at the summit and the ultimate prize of the FIVB Volleyball Boys' U17 World Championship Qatar 2026.