Puerto Rico triumphed 25-18, 25-21 and 25-23 to deny Canada a second continental title following their success in 2015 and make them the fourth nation to win the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship since it was first held in 1969. 

Gabriel García top scored for the newly crowned champions with 11 points in the final, with Pelegrin Vargas and Jonathan Rodríguez closely behind on 10 and nine points respectively, while Canada’s silver medal came despite the best contributions of Brandon Koppers’ 14 points and Xander Ketrzynski’s 11 points.

Puerto Rican Arturo Iglesias was also named as the tournament's most valubale player.

The Caribbean island team came from behind to defeat defending champions and favourites Cuba in the semi-final, having beaten the Dominican Republic in the quarter-finals and finished second to Mexico in a group also containing Canada and Trinidad and Tobago.

The final was a repeat of the first match in group A, which Puerto Rico also won 3-0.

Puerto Rico coach Oswald Antonetti was emotional at his side’s achievement.

"What a beautiful feeling reaching your goals, but how beautiful is making history," Antonetti said.

"Teams must be tenacious, have personality and a substance of values and identity to make things like this happen.

"We are enjoying the moment, each play and the process, listening to ‘La Borinqueña’ [the Puerto Rico national anthem] will be really emotional."

Top scorer García also paid tribute to the team’s efforts.

"This was teamwork, we believed in ourselves, in the system and each other individually," he commented.

"We enjoy victory as a team, winning was the only thing on our minds this morning."

Puerto Rico’s last medal at the Championship was a bronze in Córdoba against hosts Mexico in 2015, and it had only reach one prior final – a 2007 defeat to hosts United States in Anaheim.

Canada won a medal for the sixth consecutive edition of the tournament.

After finishing fourth nine times since their last podium finish at the NORCECA Men’s Continental Championship in 1979, Mexico clinched bronze by coming from behind to defeat Cuba 22-25, 25-18, 30-28, 27-25.

The US had to settle for fifth place, as they beat the Dominican Republic despite falling a set behind, winning the match 21-25, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21.

A shock quarter-final defeat to Canada meant the US missed out on a top three finish for only the second time since 1981, and in fact they had reached every final since 1991, except in 2015.

Guatemala clinched seventh place at the expense of Trinidad and Tobago with a straight-sets 25-22, 25-22, 25-21 win.