Nations League Women· Season 2026
France W beat Bulgaria W 3-1 (23-25, 25-20, 30-28, 25-22) in Pool 7 of the 2026 FIVB Women's VNL in Belgrade, saving a set point in the pivotal third set to keep their survival hopes alive.
Match Videos
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow it unfolded
Bulgaria started brightly, taking an 8-4 lead in the first set behind strong performances from Miroslava Paskova, Aleksandra Milanova, and Darina Naneva. France rallied to 11-10, but Bulgaria regained control late. Aces from Monika Krasteva and Kalina Veneva, plus successful attacks from Paskova, clinched the opener 25-23.
France responded in the second set. After Bulgaria levelled at 19-19, Les Bleues won five of the next six points to close it out 25-20 and level the match.
The third set proved decisive. Bulgaria led 23-21 and held a set point at 24-23, but could not close it out. France saved multiple critical situations before an ace from Fatoumata Fanguedou sealed a dramatic 30-28 win — a 32-point set that tilted the match decisively.
In the fourth, Bulgaria again started better and led 15-14. But France pulled ahead to 20-17 with a clinical run. Bulgaria reduced the deficit to 22-23 through a block by Borislava Saykova, but France finished the match on their first match point with another successful block for 25-22.
The turning point
The third set was the match-defining moment. Bulgaria led 24-23 with a set point that would have put them 2-1 up in sets. France saved it, and after a tense exchange of points, Fanguedou's ace at 29-28 gave Les Bleues the 30-28 win. From that point, Bulgaria's momentum was broken and France controlled the fourth set.
Key performers
F. Fanguedou (France W) — Player of the Match. The French outside hitter delivered the decisive ace in the third set and was a consistent attacking threat. Her composure in the critical moments of the 30-28 set swung the match.
Eva Elouga (France W) — Led France with 18 points, providing a steady offensive output throughout the four sets.
Mikaela Stoyanova (Bulgaria W) — The Bulgarian top scorer with 18 points, but her efforts were not enough to prevent the loss.
Lilou Ratahiry and Iman Ndiaye (France W) — Each added 14 points in support of Elouga, contributing to France's 57-49 advantage in attacks.
By the numbers — interpreted
France's edge in attack (57-49) and blocking (14-10) told the story. Bulgaria actually had more digs (107-97), better reception (89-88), and more successful sets (154-147), but the decisive margin came in the third set where they could not convert a 24-23 lead. Bulgaria also had a slight edge in aces (9-8) and points from opponent errors (27-24), but were outscored 103-95 overall. The 30-28 third set alone accounted for the bulk of France's winning margin.
What it means
France moved to 2-8 in the VNL with 6 points, climbing to 16th place in the 18-team standings. The victory kept their VNL survival hopes alive after a difficult campaign. They have one remaining preliminary match.
Bulgaria dropped to 2-7 with 5 points and remained rooted in 18th place, the relegation position. With one match still to play (against Germany on 12 July), their chances of survival were near zero. Bulgaria also dropped two places in the FIVB world rankings to 29th.
At the top of the standings, USA (9-2, 26pts), Brazil (8-1, 23pts) and Italy (7-2, 21pts) had already secured their places in the VNL Finals.
Verdict
France showed the resilience needed in a relegation six-pointer, recovering from a first-set loss and saving a set point in the third to take control. Bulgaria will rue the missed opportunity — a 24-23 lead in the third set that could have changed the entire complexion of the match — and of their VNL campaign.
Rivalry since 2012
Bulgaria W vs France W Head to Head Results· 7
Bulgaria W and France W have met 7 times — Bulgaria W won 4, France W won 3, with 0 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2012. Bulgaria W leads the head-to-head with 4 victories from 7 meetings. A combined 29 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 4.14 per match (16 for the home side, 13 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 6 matches (86%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 7 games (100%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. France W are currently unbeaten in the last 3 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 2–3 in 2025.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 15 Jul 2026