The pool compositions for the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Girls’ U17 World Championship, to be held in Santiago, Chile from 6 to 16 August, and the 2026 FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship, set for Doha, Qatar from 19 to 29 August, will be determined at the Drawing of Lots on 18 March in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The draw will determine the pool compositions for both tournaments, which will feature teams from all five continental confederations.
The Girls’ U17 World Championship will be staged first in Santiago. Hosts Chile will be joined by Argentina, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela from South America.
Reigning world champions China, who captured the inaugural title in Lima in 2024, headline Asia’s six-team contingent alongside Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, the Philippines and Thailand. Europe will be represented by Italy, Poland, Türkiye, Croatia, Czechia and Spain, while the United States, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic will compete for NORCECA. Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria complete the field as Africa’s representatives.
The tournament will begin with four pools of six teams in the preliminary round. The top four teams in each pool will advance to the Round of 16 before the competition continues in a knockout format to determine the world champions.
Later in August, the Boys’ U17 World Championship will take place in Doha. Host nation Qatar will compete alongside Pakistan, Iran, India, Japan and Chinese Taipei from Asia.
Defending champions Italy, who won the inaugural FIVB Volleyball Boys’ U17 World Championship in Sofia in 2024, lead the European teams, which also include Spain, France, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Türkiye and Bulgaria. South America’s representatives are Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela, while Puerto Rico, Cuba, the United States and Mexico will represent NORCECA. Africa’s representatives are Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.
The boys’ tournament will introduce a new competition format. The 24 teams will be divided into six pools of four teams, with the top two teams from each pool and the four best third-placed teams advancing to the Round of 16 before the knockout rounds determine the medal winners.
The Drawing of Lots in Lausanne will be streamed live on FIVB’s YouTube channel. The Boys’ U17 World Championship Drawing of Lots will begin at 13:00 GMT, followed by the Girls’ U17 World Championship Drawing of Lots at 15:00 GMT.
