Match Preview
Italy have won their last six head-to-head meetings against Argentina and now find themselves in a difficult position, needing another victory to stay in the Top 7 race. Can the South American side produce an upset?
Argentina Playing for Pride
Argentina are definitely out of contention for the Nations League 2026 final tournament after securing just three wins from ten matches, although they should be safe from relegation.
Two of those victories came during Week 2, when the Argentinians defeated Germany 3-2 before producing an impressive straight-sets victory over China. They were unable to build on that momentum, however, losing a five-set thriller to Turkey before wrapping up June with a 3-1 defeat to Poland despite winning the opening set 50-48.
The South Americans started Week 3 by recovering from two sets down against Canada to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory and end their losing run, but followed that with another five-set defeat yesterday, losing 3-2 to Cuba.
Italy Chasing a Playoff Spot
Italy are hoping to improve on last year's Nations League silver medal, but their campaign has been inconsistent, leaving them fifth in the standings with a 6-4 record.
The Azzurri endured a difficult Week 2, suffering defeats to Bulgaria (3-2) and Ukraine (3-0). They finished June with further losses against stronger opponents, Brazil (3-1) and Slovenia (3-1).
Italy opened Week 3 with a hard-fought clash against table leaders Japan. The Azzurri matched their opponents for four sets before eventually losing the deciding tiebreak 15-12, but responded immediately with a convincing 3-0 victory over Belgium.