Türkiye completes the ‘magic foursome’ of countries due to co-host the 2026 edition of CEV EuroVolley Women, thereby joining the likes of Czechia, Azerbaijan, and Sweden. The continental championship and ultimate Volleyball party will return to Türkiye with the ‘Sultans of the Net’ taking to the court as the reigning European champions following the historic triumph they secured in Brussels in early September of 2023.
In a repeat of what happened when the revamped competition format was introduced in 2019, Türkiye will be playing host to one pool in the group stage, half of the 8th Finals and quarterfinal matches plus the subsequent semis and medal matches. The actual host city/cities will be announced in due time. Back in 2019, Türkiye finished the tournament in second place after losing a dramatic gold medal match to Serbia in front of a sell-out crowd in Ankara.
“We are taking EuroVolley to Türkiye at a time when women’s Volleyball has never been as popular. With the home team due to defend their crown on home soil, fans will experience all the excitement and drama of elite Volleyball, and the event will for sure draw the attention of an astounding number of people across Europe and further beyond. We look forward to working with the Turkish Volleyball Federation, their national authorities and partners to deliver a memorable experience for all involved.”Roko Sikirić CEV President
“After the unforgettable event held in 2019, we are thrilled to once again be at the heart of European Volleyball as hosts. We are participating in the tournament as the defending European champions and we look forward to repeating our success on home soil with the passionate support of our fans,” says Turkish Volleyball Federation President, Mehmet Akif Üstündag.
“As the reining European champions, we are once again the host of the European Championship. In 2026, the continental championship will be held in our beautiful country. We are looking forward to sharing our passion for Volleyball together with the whole country in our own home.” eda Erdam Team captain of turkiye
Apart from the teams representing the four host countries, another eight have already secured their participation in the event by virtue of their position in the final standing of the 2023 edition. These are Serbia, the Netherlands, Italy, Poland, France, Bulgaria, Ukraine, and Slovakia. Another 12 will join the continental elite of the sport after completion of the CEV EuroVolley 2026 qualifiers scheduled for the summer of 2025.
Since 2019, EuroVolley has featured as many as 24 teams in each gender and taken place across four host countries, thereby igniting a real Volleyball fever across Europe and providing players, fans and media alike with an experience to remember.