2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship qualification

This article describes the qualification for the 2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship.[1]

Qualification

Bulgaria, Finland, Italy and Romania as host countries were directly qualified. The eight best placed teams at the 2023 edition also gained direct entries into the tournament. 21 teams compete for the remaining 12 places at the final tournament.

Means of qualification Qualifier Means of qualification Qualifier
Host Countries  Bulgaria Qualification Pool A  Denmark
 Finland Pool B  Belgium
 Italy Pool C  Czech Republic
 Romania Pool D  Estonia
2023 European Championship  Poland Pool E   Switzerland
 Slovenia Pool F  Greece
 France Pool G  Slovakia
 Netherlands Best runners-up  Latvia
 Serbia  Turkey
 Ukraine  Israel
 Germany  Sweden
 Portugal  North Macedonia
Total 24

Direct qualification

All of the host countries' teams directly qualified for the tournament. Then, the top eight teams from previous edition also automatically qualified.

Qualified for the 2026 European Championship
Qualified as hosts for the 2026 European Championship
Rank Team
1st place, gold medalist(s)  Poland
2nd place, silver medalist(s)  Italy
3rd place, bronze medalist(s)  Slovenia
4  France
5  Netherlands
6  Serbia
7  Romania
8  Ukraine
9  Germany
10  Portugal
11  Croatia
12  Czech Republic
13  Turkey
14  Belgium
15  Bulgaria
16  North Macedonia
17  Spain
18  Israel
19  Montenegro
20  Estonia
21  Finland
22  Greece
23   Switzerland
24  Denmark

Format

There are seven pools of three teams each; the winners of each pool and the best five runners-up will qualify for the 2026 European Championship. The pools are played in a double round-robin.

Schedule

The dates were updated to adapt to the new FIVB calendar.

Round Round date[1][2]
Matchday 1 17/18 August 2024
Matchday 2 24/25 August 2024
Matchday 3 28/29 August 2024
Matchday 4 9/10 August 2025
Matchday 5 13 August 2025
Matchday 6 16/17 August 2025

Pools composition

The pools were set following the Serpentine system according to their European Ranking for national teams as of 6 November 2023. Rankings are shown in parentheses.[1]

Pool A Pool B Pool C Pool D Pool E Pool F Pool G
 Turkey (8)  Belgium (11)  Czech Republic (13)  Croatia (16)  Spain (17)  Greece (18)  Slovakia (19)
 Denmark (27)  Azerbaijan (26)  Montenegro (24)  Estonia (23)   Switzerland (22)  North Macedonia (21)  Latvia (20)
 Hungary (28)  Austria (29)  Norway (31)  Israel (34)  Sweden (35)  Georgia (37)  Kosovo (NR)

Pool standing procedure

  1. Number of matches won
  2. Match points
  3. Sets ratio
  4. Points ratio
  5. If the tie continues as per the point ratio between two teams, the priority will be given to the team which won the last match between them. When the tie in points ratio is between three or more teams, a new classification of these teams in the terms of points 1, 2 and 3 will be made taking into consideration only the matches in which they were opposed to each other.

Match won 3–0 or 3–1: 3 match points for the winner, 0 match points for the loser
Match won 3–2: 2 match points for the winner, 1 match point for the loser

Results

  • The winners in each pool and the top five of the second-ranked teams will qualify for the 2026 European Championship.

Pool A

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Denmark 4 3 1 10 11 3 3.667 317 281 1.128 2026 European Championship
2  Turkey 4 3 1 8 9 5 1.800 326 253 1.289
3  Hungary 4 0 4 0 0 12 0.000 191 300 0.637
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 18:30 Hungary  0–3  Denmark 13–25 20–25 18–25     51–75 Report
25 Aug 2024 16:00 Denmark  3–0  Turkey 25–23 25–23 27–25     77–71 Report
29 Aug 2024 18:00 Turkey  3–0  Hungary 25–11 25–10 25–17     75–38 Report
9 Aug 2025 18:00 Hungary  0–3  Turkey 16–25 17–25 15–25     48–75 Report
13 Aug 2025 18:00 Turkey  3–2  Denmark 21–25 25–20 19–25 25–10 15–10 105–90 Report
17 Aug 2025 18:00 Denmark  3–0  Hungary 25–17 25–18 25–19     75–54 Report

Pool B

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Belgium 4 4 0 12 12 1 12.000 325 218 1.491 2026 European Championship
2  Austria 4 2 2 6 7 6 1.167 285 271 1.052
3  Azerbaijan 4 0 4 0 0 12 0.000 179 300 0.597
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 20:30 Austria  3–0  Azerbaijan 25–16 25–23 25–14     75–53 Report
24 Aug 2024 16:00 Azerbaijan  0–3  Belgium 17–25 12–25 19–25     48–75 Report
28 Aug 2024 18:00 Belgium  3–0  Austria 25–19 25–14 25–21     75–54 Report
9 Aug 2025 20:20 Austria  1–3  Belgium 15–25 21–25 27–25 18–25   81–100 Report
13 Aug 2025 20:15 Belgium  3–0  Azerbaijan 25–13 25–9 25–13     75–35 Report
16 Aug 2025 18:00 Azerbaijan  0–3  Austria 13–25 12–25 18–25     43–75 Report

Pool C

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Czech Republic 4 4 0 12 12 2 6.000 343 279 1.229 2026 European Championship
2  Norway 4 1 3 3 5 9 0.556 303 334 0.907
3  Montenegro 4 1 3 3 4 10 0.400 303 336 0.902
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
18 Aug 2024 14:30 Norway  3–0  Montenegro 25–19 28–26 25–20     78–65 Report
24 Aug 2024 18:00 Montenegro  1–3  Czech Republic 25–20 18–25 22–25 21–25   86–95 Report
29 Aug 2024 17:00 Czech Republic  3–0  Norway 25–17 25–14 25–20     75–51 Report
9 Aug 2025 17:00 Norway  1–3  Czech Republic 25–23 19–25 22–25 20–25   86–98 Report
13 Aug 2025 18:00 Czech Republic  3–0  Montenegro 25–16 25–22 25–18     75–56 Report
17 Aug 2025 19:00 Montenegro  3–1  Norway 30–28 25–17 16–25 25–18   96–88 Report

Pool D

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Estonia 4 3 1 10 11 5 2.200 373 337 1.107 2026 European Championship
2  Israel 4 3 1 7 10 8 1.250 404 397 1.018
3  Croatia 4 0 4 1 4 12 0.333 334 377 0.886
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 19:00 Estonia  3–1  Israel 26–24 25–22 19–25 25–18   95–89 Report
21 Aug 2024 18:00 Croatia  1–3  Israel 22–25 25–23 22–25 23–25   92–98 Report
24 Aug 2024 16:00 Estonia  3–0  Croatia 25–16 25–19 25–22     75–57 Report
10 Aug 2025 20:00 Israel  3–2  Croatia 25–22 18–25 25–21 24–26 15–10 107–104 Report
13 Aug 2025 19:00 Croatia  1–3  Estonia 20–25 25–22 16–25 20–25   81–97 Report
16 Aug 2025 20:00 Israel  3–2  Estonia 18–25 28–26 21–25 25–14 18–16 110–106 Report

Pool E

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1   Switzerland 4 4 0 9 12 6 2.000 390 352 1.108 2026 European Championship
2  Sweden 4 2 2 8 10 7 1.429 373 362 1.030
3  Spain 4 0 4 1 3 12 0.250 304 353 0.861
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 18:05 Sweden  2–3   Switzerland 25–15 25–20 21–25 19–25 11–15 101–100 Report
25 Aug 2024 17:00 Switzerland  3–2  Spain 25–16 25–23 19–25 22–25 15–9 106–98 Report
28 Aug 2024 20:00 Spain  0–3  Sweden 21–25 20–25 19–25     60–75 Report
9 Aug 2025 18:00 Sweden  3–1  Spain 22–25 25–23 25–23 25–22   97–93 Report
13 Aug 2025 19:30 Spain  0–3   Switzerland 17–25 16–25 20–25     53–75 Report
16 Aug 2025 17:00 Switzerland  3–2  Sweden 21–25 22–25 26–24 25–17 15–9 109–100 Report

Pool F

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Greece 4 4 0 12 12 1 12.000 317 223 1.422 2026 European Championship
2  North Macedonia 4 2 2 6 7 6 1.167 294 257 1.144
3  Georgia 4 0 4 0 0 12 0.000 169 300 0.563
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 16:00 Georgia  0–3  North Macedonia 12–25 14–25 18–25     44–75 Report
25 Aug 2024 20:15 North Macedonia  1–3  Greece 25–15 18–25 23–25 20–25   86–90 Report
29 Aug 2024 20:30 Greece  3–0  Georgia 25–14 25–8 25–16     75–38 Report
9 Aug 2025 19:00 Georgia  0–3  Greece 16–25 10–25 15–25     41–75 Report
13 Aug 2025 20:00 Greece  3–0  North Macedonia 25–18 25–15 27–25     77–58 Report
17 Aug 2025 20:00 North Macedonia  3–0  Georgia 25–13 25–16 25–17     75–46 Report

Pool G

Pos Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1  Slovakia 4 3 1 9 10 4 2.500 337 271 1.244 2026 European Championship
2  Latvia 4 3 1 9 10 5 2.000 353 303 1.165
3  Kosovo 4 0 4 0 1 12 0.083 207 323 0.641
Source: CEV
Date Time Score Set 1 Set 2 Set 3 Set 4 Set 5 Total Report
17 Aug 2024 17:00 Kosovo  0–3  Latvia 14–25 19–25 17–25     50–75 Report
25 Aug 2024 17:15 Latvia  3–1  Slovakia 25–23 21–25 26–24 25–21   97–93 Report
28 Aug 2024 18:00 Slovakia  3–0  Kosovo 25–21 25–14 25–9     75–44 Report
9 Aug 2025 20:30 Kosovo  0–3  Slovakia 20–25 14–25 13–25     47–75 Report
13 Aug 2025 19:00 Slovakia  3–1  Latvia 18–25 26–24 25–15 25–19   94–83 Report
16 Aug 2025 19:30 Latvia  3–1  Kosovo 25–13 25–12 23–25 25–16   98–66 Report

Ranking of the second-placed teams

  • The top five of the second-placed teams will qualify for the 2026 European Championship.
Pos Pool Team Pld W L Pts SW SL SR SPW SPL SPR Qualification
1 G  Latvia 4 3 1 9 10 5 2.000 353 303 1.165 2026 European Championship
2 A  Turkey 4 3 1 8 9 5 1.800 326 253 1.289
3 D  Israel 4 3 1 7 10 8 1.250 404 397 1.018
4 E  Sweden 4 2 2 8 10 7 1.429 373 362 1.030
5 F  North Macedonia 4 2 2 6 7 6 1.167 294 257 1.144
6 B  Austria 4 2 2 6 7 6 1.167 285 271 1.052
7 C  Norway 4 1 3 3 5 9 0.556 303 334 0.907
Source:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d CEV EuroVolley 2026 Official Communications No. 1
  2. ^ "Volleyball players against the Czech Republic and Norway for Eurovolley, volleyball players from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Latvia".
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