Even after their bronze medal finish, Wilfredo Leon was still far from satisfied with Poland's 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship campaign.
For a top-ranked team like Poland, anything but a gold will come as a disappointment.
That sentiment holds true for superstar spiker Wilfredo Leon even after the Poles’ bronze medal finish in the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, September 28.
Fresh off beating Czechia in four sets, Leon reaffirmed that his goal was not to finish third-best in the tournament.
“My emotions are not the best,” Leon said. With all due respect, thanks to God to give me the possibility to go back home with the medal. But individually, I need to say, I prepare myself always to win tournaments. I don't prepare myself for second or third place.”
“Happy to come back after yesterday's loss and give such a spectacular game. But, no, I'm not happy.”
Biggest takeaway
The 32-year-old spiker, who finished with a game-high 26 points on 23 attacks and three blocks, also shared what the biggest lesson will be for Poland as they head back home.
“We need to be focused from the beginning until the end. This is the biggest one,” he said.
“We lost the concentration at some point, a little bit, so we need to work on it.”
Looking forward to Poland 2027
Leon finished as the fifth-best scorer in the tournament with 93 points, leading Poland to its fourth straight podium finish, albeit not their ultimate goal of reclaiming the title.
Poland poses for a photo after their bronze medal finish in the 2025 FIVB Men's World Championship. | Photo: RM Chua/One Sports
Still, Leon and the rest of the Polish squad will have plenty of motivation in the coming years, especially with the 2027 Men’s World Championship which they will host.
“For sure I will be very motivated, especially that we will be in Poland. I hope I will have another opportunity to show up one more time myself. Hopefully, with more experience,” said Leon.
“In the semi-final we were up against a team which is with us on the top. We were providing every set by 3-4 points. We lost this distance. This is something we need to study. That's it,” he added.
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Kiko Demigillo’s journey in sports storytelling began with a deep passion for games and athletes, which eventually grew into a full-fledged career.
Now a dedicated sportswriter, Kiko covers a wide range of beats for One Sports, including the PVL, UAAP, PBA, and various international tournaments.