Finland relished notching its first-ever victory against France, more so because the team shared it with scores of Finnish fans at the stands in the FIVB Men's World Championship.
Fans became the ever-reliable 7th man for Finland as they notched their first-ever win against Olympic champion France in Pool C of the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday.
Like in their game against Argentina, Finnish fans flocked to the venue to catch the team in an emphatic upset over the French spikers, who have won the last two Olympic gold medals in men's volleyball.
For the Finns, their fans played a big role in helping them hang on for the victory in another nip-and-tuck five-setter.
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“It’s amazing. The fans, they were traveling, I don’t know, 23, 22, 24 hours to come here to the other side of the world, so of course, this is something incredible,” said Finland captain Antti Ronkainen after the match.
Left in awe
In the fan zone after the match, a sizeable crowd of Finnish fans flanked the railings as they waited for their volleyball heroes.
Clad in white and blue shirts, hats, and face paint, the fans eagerly waited for their chance to congratulate their compatriots and wish them luck for the next game.
Among those who drew the biggest cheers was Joonas Jokela, who fired a team-high 20 points in the victory over France. Leading his team to the resounding victory, the Finnish spiker was happy to give his countrymen something to cheer about.
“It’s so amazing. People use their own money, their own time and they travel half across the world to support us. I’m so happy that they came here,” Jokela said.
“I’m so proud of our team that we gave them some things to cheer for in this experience.” he continued.
Finland will hope for more of the same support when they try to seal their place in the Round of 16 when they go up against South Korea on Thursday, September 18, still at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 10:30 a.m.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.