2026 Asian Games: Iran beats hosts Japan 3-1 to clinch gold and defend volleyball title

Iran defeated hosts Japan 3-1 in the men’s volleyball final to retain their Asian Games title for a fourth consecutive edition and claim the country’s only gold medal in a team-ball sport at Nagoya 2026.

Playing before around 5,000 home supporters at the final on Saturday, Roberto Piazza’s side recovered from a second-set loss to beat Japan 28-26, 19-25, 25-21, 26-24 and complete an unbeaten campaign.

Japan made the stronger start in the opening set, but Iran held its nerve in a closely contested finish to take it 28-26. The hosts responded in the second, winning 25-19 to level the match.

Iran regained control in the third set, edging Japan 25-21, before another tight battle in the fourth. The defending champions closed out the match 26-24 to secure the gold.

The final was the 50th meeting between the two national teams, with Iran recording its 20th victory over Japan.

Iran had entered the knockout stage as the unbeaten winner of Pool B after victories over Kyrgyzstan, Thailand and Indonesia. The team then defeated India and Pakistan before overcoming Japan in the final.

The title extended Iran's run of dominance in the men's volleyball tournament. The team had also won gold at the 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang and 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, making the Nagoya triumph its fourth straight title.

Japan, meanwhile, remains the most decorated men's volleyball team in Asian Games history, with eight gold medals, three silvers and three bronzes before the Nagoya final.

The gold also came just weeks after Japan had defeated Iran 3-0 in the final of the 2026 Asian Volleyball Championship in Fukuoka, giving the Iranian side a chance to respond on the Asian Games stage.

Iran now ranks 6th in the medals table with a haul of 19 gold, 18 silver, and 15 bronze medals.

The Aichi-Nagoya Games are being held from September 19 to October 4 across venues in Japan, with around 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports.

Iran's delegation, named “Minab Angels”—a tribute to the victims of the US-Israeli attack on Shajareh Tayyebe Elementary School in Minab on February 28—is competing at the Games with 305 athletes across 38 sports.

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