The Balkan Volleyball Association will have a strong presence at next year’s World Cup. Five member federations have qualified: Serbia, Bulgaria, Türkiye, Greece and Romania. All five earned their places through the FIVB World Ranking published on 29 September.
The competition will be played in five Polish cities. Kraków will host the semifinals and final at the Tauron Arena. The other host cities are Gdańsk (Ergo Arena), Katowice (Spodek), Łódź (Atlas Arena) and Olsztyn (Hala Urania).
The stakes go beyond the world title. Three teams that have not yet qualified for the 2028 Olympic Games will win their Olympic places at the World Cup in Poland.
The full field
Qualified through the 2026 Continental Championships: Poland (hosts), Italy (reigning world champions), France, Finland, Slovenia, Japan, Iran, Korea, USA, Canada, Cuba, Tunisia, Cameroon, Algeria, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
Qualified through the FIVB World Ranking: Bulgaria, Türkiye, Serbia, Greece, Romania, Germany, Ukraine, Belgium, Czechia, the Netherlands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Denmark and Egypt.
The Volleyball Federation of Russia had also qualified through the ranking. It has announced that its men’s national team will not play in Poland, citing security reasons.
