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Finland stole the spotlight with their recent victory against Italy, and now the question is whether they can take down another gold medal contender and reach the grand final. France are tagged as favorites on paper.
Finland Riding High After Shocking Italy
Finland are the most pleasant surprise package at the European Championship 2026 so far, topping their group after causing a couple of upsets with a 4-1 record, then taking a couple of big scalps on the way to the semifinals.
They were on the edge of elimination in the Round of 16, trailing twice against Greece but finding the strength to complete a comeback and win 3-2 in the tiebreaker.
The Scandinavian side were tagged as massive underdogs on Wednesday against gold medal contenders Italy, refused to give up and took a 3-2 victory.
France Tagged Favorites
France are looking ready to challenge for the gold medal, making their way to the semifinals with six victories and just one defeat so far.
Their campaign started with four straight victories against Switzerland 3-0, Latvia 3-1, Turkey 3-0 and Germany 3-0. After securing first position in the group, they rotated heavily and lost to Romania 3-2.
Les Bleus locked horns against Portugal in the Round of 16 and claimed another victory in straight sets on Sunday afternoon, then took revenge against Romania in the quarterfinals, claiming another 3-0 victory.