Varna, Bulgaria, September 17, 2018 – Undefeated squads Iran and Poland will try to stop each other’s winning streak in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship on Sunday.
Head-to-Head
• Poland have won both of their World Championship matches against Iran, 3-0 in Sapporo in 1998 and 3-2 in Lódz in 2014.
• Iran have won six of their 17 world level major tournament matches versus Poland.
• The world level major tournaments are Olympic Games, World Championship, World Cup, World League, Grand Champions Cup and Nations League.
• Iran defeated Poland in straight sets in Hoffman Estates in the Nations League on 15 June 2018. The Poles went on to finish joint-fifth with Serbia, while the Iranians were 10th.
• Poland beat Iran in a deciding set in both the 2015 World Cup (Hamamatsu) and 2016 Olympic Games (Rio de Janeiro).
Iran
• Iran started their campaign with a 3-0 win over Puerto Rico and 3-1 wins over co-hosts Bulgaria and Cuba.
• For the first time, Iran have won their first three matches at a single World Championship.
• Iran have won six world level major tournament matches in a row for the first time ever.
• Amir Ghafour and Mohammadjavad Manavinezhad are Iran's most prolific scorers at the 2018 World Championship thus far, with 35 points each.
Poland
• Defending world champions Poland have started their 2018 campaign with three victories.
• Poland have won their first three matches in all five World Championships held this century. Poland won their first five matches in 2014 en route to the title.
• Poland have now won 10 straight World Championship matches, their longest run in the tournament since a winning streak of 11 matches in 2002-2006.
• Artur Szalpuk registered a team-high 19 points in their 3-1 win over Finland on Saturday and now is Poland's most prolific scorer in this tournament with 38 total points.