CEV EuroVolley 2026 Men’s Draw Revealed, Unveiling Exciting Preliminary Round Matchups

At the historic Castello Normanno-Svevo in Bari, the 24 qualified teams for the CEV EuroVolley 2026 Men gathered in a vibrant ceremony to learn their preliminary round opponents. This official Drawing of Lots marks the start of Europe’s premier volleyball championship, set to unfold across iconic host cities in Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, and Romania.

The tournament features a thrilling lineup as the continent’s top teams prepare to battle for the coveted title. The four host nations exercised their privilege to select one opponent each for their pools: Italy chose Sweden, Bulgaria welcomed North Macedonia to Pool B, Finland faced Estonia in Pool C, and Romania will meet Latvia in Pool D in Cluj-Napoca.

Pool A promises intense competition with reigning World Champions Italy set to clash with Slovenia, the bronze medallists from the previous EuroVolley, alongside Czechia — semi-finalists at the 2025 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Championship. Sweden, Greece, and Slovakia round out this formidable group.

In Pool B, defending champions Poland enter as favorites, matched against Bulgaria, the silver medallists of the 2025 FIVB Championship, plus North Macedonia, Ukraine, Portugal, and Israel.

Pool C, co-hosted by Finland, features a balanced mix with Estonia, Serbia, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark joining the hosts.

Pool D will showcase Olympic champions France facing Romania, Germany, Türkiye, Switzerland, and Latvia.

The championship will run from September 9 to 26, 2026, in venues across Napoli, Turin, Modena, and Milan (Italy), Varna (Bulgaria), Tampere (Finland), and Cluj-Napoca (Romania).

The top four teams from each pool will advance to the Round of 16, while the bottom two from each group will be eliminated, ending their EuroVolley journey.