Bulgaria 🇧🇬 vs. Argentina 🇦🇷 - Highlights | Week 1 | Men's VNL 2026

Bulgaria in the white and green serving against Argentina in the black and blue and the first chance comes out wide to Vicentin. Good cover backcourt Monikov runs the middle and he goes high and hard off the hands. First point for Bulgaria. Match we call it the Nikolov show for good reason. The next closest was 11 points and that was the middle. Not short by there's a pipe attack coming in and this is the area that Argentina can be good. They get that ball in and then Dicecco he leaves it so late. I think Monikov is quite good at setting but obviously this magician here never quite sure where these are going to go. Yeah I don't think Vicentin the 26 year old on the pipe himself now comes up with a big serve and overpass but Dicecco shuts down Nikolov. Great read from the Argentinian setter. Denied and was it just you who a moment ago said Dicecco doesn't. Vicentin a top scorer for Argentina in VLL history. Nikolov top scorer for Bulgaria here. He's pulled by that 173 as well. He's got a little tip in him and they serve as well to boot as has Nikolov tries to push it. That's a good opportunity for Argentina to take advantage on their serve. He's had the top spin and the float. This one's been more of the float again making them work the energy into the ball. Chance here for Argentina to take the set. Off the hands the chase is on here. Nikolov tries to get underneath this one. Now he has a standing tip. Another chance for Argentina. Off the hands still can't put it away but the setter's out here. Nikolov hands on high. Dicecco deep. Vicentin off the net drops it short again. Mone out the play to Alex. Down the line Dicecco studying defense. Now Gomez has to work the block. Dicecco looks for the opportunity. Vicentin inside the block. This is how volleyball should be played and I hope they continue at this level. Zerba takes Mone out on the first touch. Tansov in the hands and out of play. Mone does a really good job to keep that in play but unfortunately Argentina give it away. It's a free ball but they make amends straight away with a big shutout from Manuel Armo and Morel. Massive play to get this ball up. Look at the height. Ramos just scooping underneath it. It went over the block and still sharp but at this point you know. Conversation there with the Bulgarian squad and the first referee. Short this time. Mone on two. You don't get a middle attack but you do get a pipe attack from that one. The timing wise his body is on the way down when he gets the ball and it does hang that little bit long. Swing from Vicentin makes life harder for Argentina. Bulgaria come back fast and make them pay. Tansov is like the unsung hero of this team at the moment. Yeah we haven't seen a whole lot of backcourt attack from him. Goal standoff. Again Bulgaria regain that lead. Little tip from Armoa. He's not been able to find that power. There he has. Spin on the serve from Sanchez. Tight for Mone. Does a brilliant job to maintain that and put it on a platter for Petkov who hammers it down. That one was delicious. Back towards it wasn't it. Horov. Massimino steps across this time to take control of it. Belonsky into the hands. Some kind of style there. Like the chopper from Brazil. Changes up how he's going to serve, where he's going to serve. That's a great side out straight away for Alex Nikolov on the right side. Three attackers for Bulgaria here. Pacheco on defense but the net is touched. Yeah centuries is in that one. Well Bulgaria gets underway. A young sensation in Mone Nikolov. High one for Pacheco to deal with but he draws that middle in. Gets another opportunity. Ramos might get it back again but not wide to be sent in. Off the hands now to play. He can definitely do a lot more for his side. Big coming in from Grazdanoff. We mentioned him only with the one point so far. He adds to it now. Grazdanoff switching up to the one serve. We know he has explosive power on that right arm. Alex Nikolov more controlled. Inside. Finds a line. A little run to the net and around. Celebration for Amoah. That's when Nikolov needs help in the second ball. It's a long way down for some of them. They make amends straight away coming in on that super quick fight. The serve is tough. And it's 22-15. Blonsky. Oh good football skills. Oh the little fist. Oh no. He's reached over. We got to see this again. One. Two. I mean that's excellent work by Bulgaria to keep it alive. Yeah. Yeah he's fully over. It looks good though. A lot of fans cheering on for Bulgaria. With a good run of serves. He's done well since he's come on. Mony the target here. Nikolov. Oh no way. How has he found that angle? This is Bulgaria. Now they're cooking. You can already see Mony pumping. Oh my days. Set point. This club has done a really good job for the service line here. Nikolov where you want to go? Bulgaria go again for the set. Other side. Tip is in. Redwell. Lefty as well. That's his second lefty but Bulgaria take it. Lost against Serbia. Lost against Iran. They've got Brazil still to face tomorrow. Now they're down by two sets to one. And by one point here in the fourth set to Bulgaria. Gomez. Big leap on that one. Tip in from Drozdanov. Nikolov comes up with a nice big serve. It's right on the net. He's sent in. Finds the line. I mean that's just too good. Again Dicecco pulling the blockers with him. He's tight on the front court. Oh that one is just tagged on the line. Oh yeah that's well and truly in. That was excellent. Ramos. Lovely position from the Tanasov. And then that's put away through the legs of Dicecco. It's now a Mony masterclass from the service line. Oh yes. Well it could have been in or out based on the results of one win or loss. And so the way this match goes could be crucial for one of these two teams. Well the advantage is now for Bulgaria. Give the fans what they want. More volleyball. But Nikolov says no thank you to that idea. Dicecco serving. Mony front court. This time it goes up to Nikolov down the line. Comes straight back and he swings that down the line to set up. Match point. Wood against Iran now. Match point against Argentina. Dicecco trying to get underneath this one. Does so. That's a beautiful save by Argentina. He's sent in. Serving now. Must defend this ball. And they do. Oh no they don't. It just goes out of play. Bulgaria have done it in four. The 25-23 is the set score. And three sets to one. Bulgaria with their second win. That's a huge performance by Bulgaria to dig deep in that final set where they were down.