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Türkiye's national women's volleyball team won the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League title on Sunday, defeating world No. 2 Brazil 3-1 in the final at the East Asian Games Dome.
Brazil started the match with a 4-1 lead, before Türkiye closed the gap to level at 7-7 with points from attack and block.
Türkiye took its first lead of the set at 11-10 on a point from Melissa Vargas, but Brazil pulled ahead by five points at 22-17 and held off a late rally from Türkiye to win the first set 25-23.
Brazil opened the second set with a 6-3 lead built on points from the middle. Türkiye responded with a four-point run, driven by Zehra Gunes on serve and Ilkin Aydin on attack and block, to go ahead 7-6. Türkiye extended its lead to 20-17 on points from Vargas, but Brazil closed to 21-21 with three straight points.
Türkiye then won three consecutive points late in the set to take it 25-23, leveling the match at 1-1.
Türkiye opened the third set with a 5-3 lead, before Brazil answered with a five-point run at the block to go ahead 8-5.
The teams traded points before Türkiye tied the set at 14-14. Brazil later leveled again at 24-24, but Türkiye won the set 26-24 to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Türkiye started the fourth set strongly, building an 8-2 lead in the first 10 points. Brazil cut the gap to two points at 15-13 with a stronger showing on attack and defense, and briefly went ahead 19-18 as Ana Cristina answered Vargas' scoring.
Türkiye did not make further errors in the closing stretch, winning the set 25-21 to secure the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Nations League title.
The match lasted 126 minutes. Melissa Vargas top-scored for Türkiye with 33 points, while Ana Cristina led Brazil with 25.
Türkiye fielded Zehra Gunes, Melissa Vargas, Hande Baladin, Sinead Jack Kisal, Elif Sahin and Ilkin Aydin, with Gizem Orge, Eylul Akarcesme Yatgin, Cansu Ozbay, Saliha Sahin and Yaprak Erkek also seeing action.
Brazil started Bergmann, Diana, Rosamaria, Ana Cristina, Luzia and Roberta, with Marcelle, Macris, Kisy, Maiara, Helena and Natinha in reserve.
The match was officiated by Francisco Denny Cespedes Lassi of the Dominican Republic and Vladimir Simonovic of Switzerland.
The result gives Türkiye a second VNL title, following its 2023 championship, and avenges Türkiye's loss to Brazil in the bronze medal match at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Türkiye had also lost to Brazil in last year's VNL, making Sunday's win the team's first over Brazil in their past two meetings.
Sunday's win marks Türkiye's eighth consecutive year competing in the tournament's final stage since the VNL began in 2018, and the team's third final appearance overall.
Türkiye won its first title by defeating China in the 2023 final, after finishing runner-up to the United States in 2018. Sunday's win brings Türkiye's total medal count in the competition to four, with two gold, one silver and one bronze, placing the team among the tournament's most successful sides.
Head coach Daniele Santarelli, who took charge of the national team in 2023, won his third gold medal with Türkiye. He previously led the team to the 2023 VNL title and the 2023 European Championship, and guided Türkiye to a silver medal at the 2025 FIVB Women's World Championship.
Brazil lost in the VNL final for the fifth time in the tournament's eight editions, having previously been beaten by the United States in 2018, 2019 and 2021, and by Italy in 2025. The South American side has yet to win a VNL title despite four runner-up finishes prior to Sunday.
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