Buoyant Thailand face Türkiye in VNL finale after stunning Brazil

Thailand will carry renewed confidence into their final preliminary-round match of the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Women’s Nations League when they face Finals-bound Türkiye in Osaka on Sunday, fresh from a stunning 3-0 victory over Brazil.

The match at Asue Arena is scheduled to begin at 3.30pm local time, or 1.30pm in Thailand, on July 12. It will be broadcast live on MONOMAX and Monomax Sports on MONO29.

Brazil sweep transforms Thailand’s mood

Thailand delivered arguably their finest performance of the 2026 VNL campaign on Saturday, sweeping third-placed Brazil 25-15, 25-16 and 25-17.

Middle blocker Thatdao Nuekjang led the Thai scoring with 15 points, comprising nine attacks, four aces and two blocks, as Thailand rebounded emphatically from consecutive defeats by the United States and hosts Japan.

The result improved Thailand’s record to three wins and eight defeats from 11 matches. They have 12 points and sit 14th in the 18-team standings before the final day of the preliminary phase.

Thailand are also assured of remaining in the VNL in 2027. Only the team finishing 18th is relegated, and bottom-placed Bulgaria cannot catch Thailand with one match remaining.

With the threat of relegation removed and a major upset behind them, Thailand can approach their final match with the aim of ending the tournament on a high.

Türkiye secure place in VNL Finals

Türkiye will provide another major test after securing their place in the VNL Finals with a 3-1 victory over Japan on Saturday.

The European side won 25-22, 22-25, 25-22 and 25-22, with star opposite Melissa Vargas contributing 20 points. Middle blockers Sinead Jack-Kısal and Zehra Güneş added 14 and 13 respectively, while İlkin Aydın also scored 14.

The victory lifted Türkiye to fourth place with eight wins, three defeats and 22 points from 11 matches, confirming their place in the Finals in Macao from July 22-26.

Although their qualification is already secured, Türkiye will be looking to maintain momentum and strengthen their position in the standings before the knockout stage.

Recent record favours Türkiye

Türkiye hold a clear advantage in the teams’ recent head-to-head record, winning four of their past five meetings.

They defeated Thailand 3-1 in the 2022 VNL quarter-finals before Thailand responded with a memorable 3-2 victory at the 2022 World Championship.

Türkiye have since recorded three consecutive straight-sets victories over Thailand in the VNL, winning 3-0 in 2023, 2024 and 2025. The 2023 meeting took place on June 29, not July 29.

Thailand’s commanding performance against Brazil, however, showed that they can trouble highly ranked opposition when their serving, blocking and attacking systems operate effectively.

The Thais will need another disciplined display against a powerful Türkiye attack led by Vargas, while limiting errors and maintaining the aggressive serving that placed Brazil under sustained pressure.