The 2026 European Men’s Volleyball Championships they will dispute from 9 to 26 September: the twenty-four participating teams were divided into four groups, the top four classified will advance to the round of 16, where the direct elimination phase will begin. A pass to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is up for grabswhich will be awarded to the team capable of raising the trophy to the sky.
Italy will host the event: the opening match, with our national team on the field as World Champions, will be played in Piazza Plebiscito in Naples; the other Pool A matches will be played at PalaPanini in Modena; round of 16 and quarter finals will put on a great show PalaVela of Turin; semi-finals and final acts will be staged atArena Santa Giulia in Milan.
The continental review will be organized by four countries, which will divide one group each: already mentioned about Pool A in our latitudes, Pool B will be staged in Varna (Bulgaria)Pool C will animate Tampere (Finland) and Pool D will put on a show Cluj-Napoca (Romania). The round of 16 and quarter finals will then be played between Italy and Bulgaria, as already mentioned about the matches with the medals up for grabs.
Italy will be awaited by a not so banal group, with Czechia (championship semi-finals) and Slovenia (beaten in the continental final in 2021) as the main obstacles, without underestimating Slovakia, Greece and Sweden. Poland will begin their title defense in Bulgariacrossing the hosts (World Cup finalists), as well as the affordable Ukraine, Portugal, Israel and North Macedonia.
Pool C promises to be balanced given the presence of Serbia, Belgium, Finland and the Netherlands, as well as Estonia and Denmark. France will have to make up for the terrible World Cup: the Paris 2024 Olympic Champions will make their debut in Romania against the hosts, Germany, Turkey, Switzerland and Latvia.
Italy’s group will meet group C in the round of 16 (first against fourth, second against third), the winners will face each other in the quarter-finals and therefore there could be replays of matches already seen in the group stage. On the horizon there could therefore be Serbia, Belgium, Holland or Finland, avoid the challenges with Poland, France and Bulgaria until the matches where the medals are up for grabs. Below is the calendar for the 2026 European men’s volleyball championships.
EUROPEAN VOLLEYBALL GROUPS 2026
POOL A (in Naples for the opening match and then in Modena)
Italia, Sweden, Slovenia, Czechia, Greece, Slovakia
POOL B (a Varna, Bulgaria)
Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Poland, Ukraine, Portugal, Israel
POOL C (in Tampere, Finland)
Finland, Estonia, Serbia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark
POOL D (in Cluj-Napoca, Romania)
Romania, Latvia, France, Germany, Türkiye, Switzerland
DIRECT CANCEL PHASE COUPLING
ROUND OF 16
Eighth 1: A1 vs C4
Eighth 2: A2 vs C3
Eighth 3: A3 vs C2
Ottawa 4: A4 vs C1
Ottawa 5: B1 vs D4
Eighth 6: B2 vs D3
Eighth 7: B3 vs D2
Eighth 8: B4 vs D1
QUARTER-FINALS
Quarter 1: Winner Eighth 1 vs Winner Eighth 4
Quarter 2: Winner Eighth 2 vs Winner Eighth 3
Quarter 3: Winner Eighth 5 vs Winner Eighth 8
Quarter 4: Winner Eighth 6 vs Winner Eighth 7
SEMI-FINALS:
Semi-final 1: Winner Fourth 1 vs Winner Fourth 4
Semi-final 2: Winner Fourth 2 vs Winner Fourth 3
EUROPEAN VOLLEYBALL CALENDAR 2026
Wednesday 9 September
18.00 Bulgaria vs North Macedonia (in Sofia)
19.00 Romania vs Latvia (in Cluj-Napoca)
Thursday 10 September
15.00 Poland vs.
16.00 Francia vs Svizzera (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Israel vs Ukraine (Sofia)
7.00pm Finland vs Denmark (in Tampere)
19.00 Turkey vs Germany (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.05 Italia vs Sweden (in Naples)
Friday 11 September
15.00 Ukraine vs North Macedonia (in Sofia)
16.00 Czechia vs Grecia (and Modena)
16.00 Netherlands vs Belgium (in Tampere)
16.00 Germany vs Latvia (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Portugal vs Bulgaria (in Sofia)
19.00 Serbia vs Estonia (a Tampere)
19.00 Switzerland vs Romania (in Cluj-Napoca)
9.00pm Slovakia vs Slovenia (in Modena)
Saturday 12 September
2.00pm Denmark vs Netherlands (in Tampere)
15.00 Poland vs Israel (in Sofia)
4.00pm Sweden vs Czechia (in Modena)
16.00 France vs Turkey (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Belgium vs Finland (in Tampere)
18.00 Bulgaria vs Ukraine (in Sofia)
19.00 Romania vs Germany (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.05 Italia vs Grecia (and Modena)
Sunday 13 September
14.00 Estonia vs Denmark (in Tampere)
3.00pm Portugal vs Israel (in Sofia)
16.00 Slovenia vs Sweden (in Modena)
16.00 Switzerland vs Turkey (in Cluj-Napoca)
17.00 Finland vs Serbia (and Tampere)
18.00 North Macedonia vs Poland (in Sofia)
19.00 Latvia vs Francia (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.05 Italia vs Slovakia (in Modena)
Monday 14 September
3.00pm Ukraine vs Portugal (in Sofia)
16.00 Slovakia vs Czechia (in Modena)
16.00 Serbia vs Netherlands (in Tampere)
16.00 Germany vs Svizzera (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Bulgaria vs Israel (in Sofia)
7.00pm Estonia vs Belgium (in Tampere)
19.00 Romania vs Turkey (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.00 Slovenia vs Grecia (and Modena)
Tuesday 15 September
15.00 North Macedonia vs Portugal (in Sofia)
4.00pm Greece vs Sweden (in Modena)
16.00 Belgium vs Denmark (in Tampere)
16.00 Latvia vs Switzerland (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Poland vs Ukraine (in Sofia)
7.00pm Netherlands vs Finland (in Tampere)
19.00 France vs Germany (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.05 Italia vs Cechia (a Modena)
Wednesday 16 September
15.00 Israel vs North Macedonia (in Sofia)
4.00pm Sweden vs Slovakia (in Modena)
16.00 Denmark vs Serbia (in Tampere)
16.00 Turkey vs Latvia (in Cluj-Napoca)
18.00 Poland vs Bulgaria (in Sofia)
7.00pm Netherlands vs Estonia (in Tampere)
19.00 France vs Romania (in Cluj-Napoca)
21.00 Cechia vs Slovenia (a Modena)
Thursday 17 September
16.00 Serbia vs Belgium (and Tampere)
16.00 Slovakia vs Greece (in Modena)
19.00 Finland vs Estonia (in Tampere)
21.05 Italia vs Slovenia (and Modena)
Saturday 19 September and Sunday 20 September
Round of 16 (in Sofia): two matches a day among the following, times to be defined
Round of 16 5: First group B vs Fourth group D
Round of 16 6: First group D vs Fourth group D
Round of 16 7: Second group B vs Third group D
Round of 16 8: Second group D vs Third group B
Sunday 20 September and Monday 21 September
Round of 16 (in Turin): two matches a day among the following, times to be defined
Round of 16 1: First group A vs Fourth group C
Round of 16 2: First group C vs Fourth group A
Round of 16 3: Second group A vs Third group C
Round of 16 4: Second group C vs Third group A
Tuesday 22 September
Quarter finals (in Sofia), times to be defined
Quarter-final 3: Winner Round of 16 5 vs Winner Round of 16 8
Quarter-final 4: Winner Round of 16 6 vs Winner Round of 16 7
Wednesday 23 September
Quarter finals (in Turin), times to be defined
Quarter-final 1: Winner Round of 16 1 vs Winner Round of 16 4
Quarter-final 2: Winner Round of 16 2 vs Winner Round of 16 3
Friday 25 September
Semifinals (in Milan), times to be defined
Semi-final 1: Winner Quarter-final 1 vs Winner Quarter-final 4
Semi-final 2: Winner Quarter-final 2 vs Winner Quarter-final 3
Saturday 26 September
Finals (in Milan), times to be defined
EUROPEAN VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM 2026: WHERE TO SEE THEM ON TV
Live TV: all Italy matches, finals and other matches to be defined on Rai channels (detailed schedule to be defined).
Live streaming: all Italy matches, finals and other matches to be defined on Rai Play; all matches on VBTV, for season ticket holders. Further proposals could be added.
