Poland | Road to the Gold Medal | Men's World Championship 2018

Turin, Italy, September 29, 2018 - Brazil and Poland go head-to-head in a World Championship final for the third time in the history of the competition, Sunday at Turin's Pala Alpitour, as the 2018 edition wraps up. Brazil beat Poland in straight sets in the 2006 final in Tokyo, before Poland took revenge with a 3-1 win in 2014 at home in Katowice. Head-to-Head • Poland and Brazil are set for a replay of the 2014 World Championship final, which was won by Poland 3-1 (18-25, 25-22, 25-23, 25-22). • These teams also played the final at the 2006 World Championship, which Brazil won 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-17). • In total, these teams have met nine times at the World Championships. Poland lead the head-to-head with five wins to four. • Brazil have claimed at least one set in all but one World Championship meeting against Poland. The lone exception is a straight set defeat in 1962. • Since the 2014 World Championship, these teams have met four times in world level major tournaments. Brazil won three and Poland one of those matches. • World level major tournaments are World Championships, World League, World Cup, Grand Champions Cup, Nations League and Olympic Games. Brazil • Brazil have reached the final for the fifth time in a row at the World Championships (2002-2018). They played in all World Championship finals in this century. • They won the world title in 2002 (3-2 v Russia), 2006 (3-0 v Poland) and 2010 (3-0 v Cuba) before losing the final in 2014 (3-1 v Poland). They also lost the final in 1982, 3-0 against Soviet Union. • Brazil can become the second team to win the men's world title at least four times, after Russia's six trophies (all six as Soviet Union). • Brazil have won 10 of their 11 matches at the 2018 World Championship, with a 3-1 defeat against Netherlands in the first round being the only exception. They could win 11 for the second time, after 2014 (11). • Brazil have won six matches in straight sets at the 2018 World Championship. They could still reach their number of 2014 (7). • Brazil have won at least one set in each of their last 28 World Championship matches, since a 3-0 defeat against Bulgaria in 2010. • Wallace De Souza is Brazil's top scorer at this World Championship on 143 points. Douglas Souza follows closely on 139. Poland • After reaching the last four for the third time at the World Championships, Poland reached the final for the third time as well. • Poland finished as runners-up in 2006 (v Brazil) and won the world title in 2014 (v Brazil). It also won the title in 1974, when the tournament was a round robin format. • Poland are the first team not named Brazil to reach back-to-back World Championship finals since Italy in 1990, 1994 and 1998. • Poland could become the fourth nation to win successive men's world titles, after Soviet Union (1949-1952, 1960-1962, 1978-1982), Italy (1990-1998) and Brazil (2002-2010). • After losing their first two five-setters at the 2018 World Championship, Poland managed to break the spell against United States in the semifinal (15-11 in the 5th set). In their championship season in 2014, they won all four matches that went the distance. • Bartosz Kurek is Poland's top scorer at the 2018 World Championship on 147 points.