MOSCOW (AP) _ Defending champion Brazil rallied to beat France 22-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-23, 15-13 Sunday and win its fourth consecutive World League volleyball title.

France, playing in its first-ever World League final, took a 2-0 lead at Luzhniki Indoor Arena and took a 2-0 lead. But Brazil took over midway through the third set and dominated the fourth.

``It's difficult to lose when you were two sets up,'' France captain Stephane Antiga said.

Sebastien Ruette, who scored 21 points for France, and Guillaume Samica, who collected 20, each saved a match point before Rodrigo Santa denied them one more chance, spiking the winner.

``At the beginning of the event, we didn't even believe, we could make it to the final,'' Antiga said.

France advanced to the semifinals ahead of Serbia-Montenegro on a better points ratio.

``I'm happy we won,'' Brazil coach Bernardo Rezende said. ``France, for sure, taught us many things tonight. But our experience paid off at the end.''

Brazil has not missed a single World League final tournament since the League started in 1990, and won six times.

Russia, which beat Brazil in 2002 for its only World League title, took third place after beating Bulgaria 25-20, 25-19, 25-19.