AVC Men's Cup 2026: Indonesia stun Korea to lift maiden title

India finished with bronze medal

The Indonesian men’s volleyball team wrote their names in the history books, becoming only the sixth team to win the AVC Men’s Cup 2026 title.

Indonesia beat South Korea in straight sets to win their first-ever medal in the championships in front of a packed crowd at the Veer Savarkar Complex in Amdavad, India.

It was a huge occasion for both South Korea and Indonesia, with both playing their first final in the tournament history. South Korea had made it to the knockouts in the last three editions, but finished with a bronze medal in 2023 & 2024 while finishing fourth in the last edition.

Related: Korea vs Indonesia Final Highlights & Replay, AVC Men’s Cup 2026

For Indonesia, it was their first-time in the knockouts, and they made it all the way to the final after a hard-fought semi-final win against the in-form and hosts India.

Both teams showed up for the occasion from the first set, with players showing individual brilliance every point. The scoreline of 34-32 in the first set would suggest how tight the contest was. Indonesia had saved two match points to tie the scores at 24 each.

Both teams didn’t give an inch and it was the aggressive Indonesia which snatched the set with a brilliant service from Boy Arnez Arabi, who finished the tournament as the highest point scorer.

Winning a close first set in the finals gave a massive boost to the confidence of the Indonesian players.

It was reflecting in the way Koreans responded as they conceded five Aces in the second set. They adopted an ultra-aggressive approach resulting in eight unforced errors. The likes of Farhan Halim and Hendra Kurniawan capitalised on it to win the second set 25-16.

Korean, who won bronze medals in two of the last three editions, were quick to realise the need to cut down the momentum and slowed down the game.

They played more rallies and attacked when there was a small opportunity to score. It worked for them as they had a slender lead in the third set at 12-11.

Related: AVC Men’s Cup 2026: India defeat Bahrain to clinch historic first-ever bronze medal

But when the Indonesians continued attacking the Koreans panicked as they kept making errors. The Time-Outs suggested that there were too many opinions from Korea, but nothing worked on the day as Indonesia sealed the deal in straight sets.

It is their first medal at the AVC Men’s Cup and icing on the cake is the fact that they were able to make it Gold. It was also a nice way to avenge their loss against South Korea in the league stage.

It was an easy straight sets win for the Koreans earlier this tournament but on the most important day, Indonesians struck gold.

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