18 national teams are battling across the globe to secure a spot in the prestigious Final Round in Ningbo, China. Poland enter the tournament as the defending VNL champions from last year where they defeated Italy in a thriller finish.
Olympic champions France, world champions Italy and other teams like Japan, Brazil and the USA are among leading contenders in what promises to be another highly competitive year of volleyball. The tournament starts on 10th June and will run through 2nd August.
Men's VNL 2026 Tournament Schedule
The preliminary phase is divided into three major competition weeks, with action taking place across nine different global cities before heading to the finals.
The opening week fixtures serve off on June 10, featuring heavy-hitting matches across the three initial host pools:
Pool 1 (Ottawa, Canada): Canada, Germany, Italy, United States, Turkey, France
Pool 2 (Brasilia, Brazil): Brazil, Argentina, Bulgaria, Serbia, Belgium, Iran
Pool 3 (Linyi, China): China, Cuba, Slovenia, Ukraine, Poland, Japan
Each week follows a packed schedule, with teams playing four matches per week as they race to secure points in the combined tournament standings.
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How to watch on Stake.com:
- Visit Stake and navigate to Volleyball > Live Streaming
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2026 Competition Format Explained
The tournament features an expanded roster of 18 national teams following recent format updates, increasing global representation.
Preliminary Round: Each national team plays a total of 12 matches spread over three competition weeks. All 18 teams are ranked in a single, unified league table.
The Final Round: The top seven teams from the league standings advance to the single-elimination knockout phase.
Host Privilege: Final Round hosts China earn automatic qualification. If China finish outside the top eight during the league phase, they take the 8th seed spot in the bracket.
The final eight squads will head to the Beilun Gymnasium in Ningbo, China, from July 29 to August 2, where the 2026 champion of the world will be crowned in an unmissable single-match knockout tournament.