Estonia defeat Finland 3-2 at EuroVolley 2026: A victory of pride and unconfirmed numbers

Estonia defeated host Finland 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 25-22, 20-25, 15-11) in Tampere on Thursday, preventing Finland from sharing the Pool C title at the 2026 European Men's Volleyball Championship. Belgium had already secured first place by sweeping Serbia 3-0 earlier the same day. Before 9,813 fans at Nokia Arena, Finland won the opening set 25-22 behind the Marttila brothers and Joonas Jokela, who celebrated his 100th cap. Estonia responded in set two, with opposite Timo Andre Lohmus helping open a 16-11 lead and close it 25-21. In the third set, Luka Marttila produced three straight aces to tie at 19-19, but Lohmus delivered a decisive block as Estonia won 25-22. Substitute Niko Suihkonen scored seven points in set four to force a tie-break, which Estonia dominated 15-11. Sources disagree on the top scorers: volleytimes.com credits Lohmus with 24 points and Teppan with 16, while WorldofVolley gives Teppan 24 and Lohmus 16. Estonia finished bottom of Pool C with five points but showed clear progress after their first win over the Netherlands. Finland, second with 11 points, now face Greece in the round of 16, while Belgium meet Czechia. The loss raised questions about how much a late, emotional victory matters when a team has already been eliminated.