Article
Poland sweep past France 3-1 to win the XXIII Hubert Wagner Memorial in Kraków
Poland beat France 3-1 in the Hubert Wagner Memorial final in Kraków on 30 August 2026, winning the tournament with a perfect 3-0 record. Match report with analysis.
Poland 3–1 France (22:25, 25:17, 25:15, 25:20) — Tauron Arena, Kraków
Poland repelled a first-set ambush from Olympic champions France and stormed back to win 3–1 at the Tauron Arena, claiming the XXIII Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner with a perfect 3-0 tournament record.
How it unfolded
France seized the opening set behind the blistering serves of Huetz and Mathis Henno, racing to a 7-3 lead. Poland clawed back through Tomasz Fornal's growing presence at the net, but the Olympic champions held firm to take set one 25-22.
The match flipped after the change of ends. Poland established an 8-5 lead in set two behind Kamil Semeniuk's ace and Jakub Nowak's block, then pulled away to 14-9 when Bartłomiej Bołądź stuffed a French attack. Poland closed 25-17.
Set three was a rout. Poland's block-and-transition game clicked — Fornal added two more stuffs — and France, increasingly rattled, committed error after error. A Kewin Sasak spike sealed it 25-15.
France showed more fight in set four but Poland's organisation never wavered. Two Fornal blocks stretched the lead to 20-14, and Boyer's serve into the net ended the match 25-20.
The turning point
The first-set defeat exposed Poland's reception under pressure from Henno and Huetz. Nikola Grbić's side solved the problem between sets, shoring up serve-receive and imposing their block — Poland outscored France 7-2 in blocks after set one. France scored just 15 points in set three, their lowest of the tournament.
Key performers
- Tomasz Fornal (Poland): Player of the match. Led Poland's blocking revolution with multiple stuffs in sets 2-4 and scored consistently from the left.
- Bartłomiej Bołądź (Poland): Dominant on the right side, hammering through the French block and adding key stuffs of his own.
- Kamil Semeniuk (Poland): Provided stability in reception and chipped in crucial points from the pipe and serving line.
- Mathis Henno (France): Carried the French attack in set one but faded as Poland's block adjusted.
By the numbers
Poland conceded the opening set but dominated every statistical column thereafter. France's 15-point third set — compared to 25 in set one — illustrates how completely Grbić's tactical tweaks disrupted Andrea Giani's offence. Poland's block grew from 1 in set one to 6 across the final three sets.
What it means
Poland finish the Wagner Memorial with a 3-0 match record (9-4 in sets), adding the Kraków trophy to their 2026 Nations League title. France take second place (2-1, 7-4), USA third and Slovenia fourth. Both teams now turn to the EuroVolley 2026, which begins 9-10 September. Poland open against Portugal on 10 September.
Verdict
A statement win. After losing the Olympic final to France in Paris 2024, Poland showed they have closed the gap — and in front of a roaring home crowd, they played with the authority of a team peaking at the right time. France will need to rediscover their set-one sharpness before the European Championship begins.