Poland’s successful defence of the European Championship has been followed by another striking measure of the team’s strength: four Polish players were selected for EuroVolley 2026’s tournament dream team, with Wilfredo Leon named Most Valuable Player for the second championship in succession.
Leon was also chosen as one of the competition’s two best outside hitters. Bartłomiej Lemański and Szymon Jakubiszak took both middle-blocker positions, while Jakub Popiwczak was named the tournament’s best libero. Poland coach Nikola Grbić was also recognised as the leading coach of the championship.
The individual honours were announced after Poland defeated France 3–1 in the final in Milan on 26 September, successfully defending the European title won in 2023 and securing direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
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For Poland, however, the awards provide a separate story from the gold medal itself.
This was not a tournament in which one exceptional player carried the team. The final selections recognised Polish strength across attack, blocking and defence — as well as the coach who has overseen one of the national team’s most successful periods.
Leon repeats his 2023 achievement
Leon’s MVP award continues an unusual run.
Three years earlier, he was also named EuroVolley’s Most Valuable Player after Poland defeated Italy in straight sets to win the 2023 European Championship in Rome.
Now he has repeated the achievement.
At EuroVolley 2026, Leon was named both MVP and Best Outside Hitter, giving him the tournament’s most important individual award for the second edition in a row.
He also contributed 13 points in the final against France, as Poland won 31–29, 25–19, 20–25, 25–16 to secure another European crown.
That makes Leon the MVP of both European Championships Poland have won during their current title run.
Yet the rest of the individual awards show how much support surrounded him.
Poland takes both middle-blocker places
Perhaps the clearest indication of Poland’s strength across the court came in the middle.
Bartłomiej Lemański and Szymon Jakubiszak were both selected as the tournament’s best middle blockers, meaning Poland occupied both positions in the official dream team.
Lemański also produced one of his strongest performances when it mattered most. He scored 12 points in the final, one of five Polish players to reach double figures.
Leon and Tomasz Fornal scored 13 points each, Kamil Semeniuk added 10 and Bartłomiej Bołądź led Poland with 16.
Jakubiszak’s recognition completed Poland’s sweep of the middle-blocker positions, while Jakub Popiwczak was named the tournament’s best libero, adding defensive recognition to the attacking and blocking honours.
The rest of the tournament team included Finland’s Nooa Marttila alongside Leon at outside hitter, France’s Théo Faure at opposite and Antoine Brizard at setter.
Four of the seven player positions therefore went to Poland.
That distribution matters because it reflects something the final result alone cannot fully show.
Poland’s championship was built across several parts of the team.
Grbić recognised from the bench
There was recognition on the sideline too.
Nikola Grbić was named the tournament’s leading coach after guiding Poland to another European title and direct Olympic qualification.
The Serbian coach has now overseen a sustained run of major international success with the Polish national team, adding another continental championship to an already substantial medal record.
The 2026 title was Poland’s third European Championship crown, following victories in 2009 and 2023.
But the individual awards added a different dimension to the Milan triumph.
Leon took the tournament’s biggest personal honour for a second consecutive edition. Poland filled both middle-blocker positions, supplied the best libero and claimed one of the two outside-hitter places, while Grbić was recognised from the bench.
The gold medal established Poland as European champions again.
The dream team showed just how many different parts of the side helped make them so.
