England’s twin duo Javier & Joaquin Bello are set to make their first-ever appearance at the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships, taking place from 14 to 23 November 2025 at The Drive and Pinky Flat in Adelaide, Australia. Their qualification through a FIVB wild card marks a landmark for England beach volleyball and reflects the continued impact of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme.
The Bello brothers have built their careers steadily over the past decade, becoming the faces of England’s rise in international beach volleyball. Their journey began with gold at the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2017 and gathered momentum with a World Tour gold in Cortegaça, Portugal in 2021. The following year, they made history by winning England’s first-ever beach volleyball medal, taking bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Javier Bello at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Montreal.
Their breakthrough moment came in 2024, when they captured Elite16 gold in Rio de Janeiro, defeating Olympic champions Anders Mol & Christian Sorum after advancing from the qualifiers. That win remains the greatest result in British beach volleyball history.
In Adelaide, they will compete in Pool G against France’s Téo Rotar & Arnaud Gauthier-Rat, Sweden’s Jacob Hölting Nilsson & Elmer Andersson, and home favourites Ben Hood & Oliver Merritt of Australia. Their appearance marks the first time an English men’s team has played in the World Championships main draw, a milestone that reflects both their persistence and the country’s growing commitment to the sport.
Joaquin Bello at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Montreal.
Their progress has been strengthened by FIVB Volleyball Empowerment, which has provided USD 147,000 in coach support to England’s men’s beach volleyball programme for the period of 2024 to 2026. The funding ensures consistent technical leadership and a stronger foundation for training and international competition.
Reflecting on the initiative, Javier Bello said, “It has been a huge help for us, for our team and for our national programme to have our coach working so hard with us in the past year. It is really important that coaches receive both support and recognition. We are very happy with the programme and proud to be part of it, and to be beneficiaries of Volleyball Empowerment.”
Javier and Joaquin Bello getting instructions from their coach, Luis Bello, at the Beach Pro Tour Elite16 in Hamburg.
Joaquin Bello added, “We have been working very hard with our coach for many years, and it is amazing to have him as part of our team. We are very thankful to Volleyball Empowerment for making that possible.”
Their World Championship debut follows years of patient work, from early training sessions on English beaches to competing across Europe and beyond. Backed by Volleyball Empowerment, their progress shows how sustained support and opportunity can lift a programme to the highest level. In Adelaide, the Bello brothers carry both their own ambitions and the growing promise of English beach volleyball.
