Lausanne, Switzerland, July 8, 2017 - Eleven years after Brazil beat France 3-2 in Moscow to claim the 2006 FIVB World League title, the two sides meet again in a final, Saturday in Curitiba's open-air Arena de Baixada football stadium. It's the 24th the two teams come head-to-head in the history of the competition, with the reiging Olympic champions leading the series 18-5. Brazil (who are in their fifth world League final in the last seven years and aim for a record 10th title) and France (who are in their third final and after a second title) also clashed in last year's semifinals, with the South Americans winning in four sets.
Head-to-Head• Brazil and France have met 23 times in the World League with Brazil winning 18 times and losing five matches.
• This is the second time Brazil and France face each other in the final of the World League. Brazil won 3-2 in 2006, 15-13 in the deciding set.
• They most recently met in last year's semifinals - Brazil won 3-1.
• Brazil beat France by the same scoreline at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
• France's last World League win versus Brazil was a 3-1 victory in 2015.
Brazil• Brazil have reached the World League final for the fifth time in the last seven seasons.
• In each of their last four World League finals, Brazil finished as runners-up.
• Brazil have won the World League a record nine times. Italy are next with eight trophies. No other country has won the competition more than twice.
• Brazil last won the World League in 2010, when they retained their title from 2009.
• Twice before Brazil won the World League in the first year following their Olympic gold medal - in 1993 and in 2005.
France• France can win the World League for the second time, after 2015, when they also won in Brazil.
• Last year, France took bronze.
• France can join Italy (1995) and Russia (2002) by beating Brazil in a final played in Brazil.
• Stephen Boyer is the joint top scorer in the Finals on 56 points, equal to USA's Taylor Sander.
• Jenia Grebennikov leads all players on 59 block attempts and 3.2 average per set.