VNL 2026

Men’s VNL to resume on Wednesday in three European cities

Gliwice, Ljubljana and Orleans set to welcome the second competition week’s 36 matches

Published 05:13, 24 Jun 2026

Bulgaria (BUL) vs. Italy (ITA) men - Final 1-2 #64125359

The second competition week in men’s VNL 2026 will open with a remake of the 2025 World Championship final

The second competition week in the men’s Volleyball Nations League 2026 is about to serve off on Wednesday with three cities in the European Union – Gliwice in Poland, Ljubljana in Slovenia and Orleans in France – hosting a total of 36 matches.

Watch the Volleyball Nations League 2026 on VBTV

Each of the 18 participating teams will play another four games this week, while the match schedule in each of the three pools features three games on Wednesday, two each on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and another three on Sunday. The ongoing race is for the top seven spots in the final Preliminary Phase standings after week three, which will guarantee advancement to the Finals in China.

Defending champions Poland counting on Gliwice fans to help gain ground in current standings

Poland - the number two team in the FIVB World Ranking – will welcome five teams from the bottom half of the current VNL standings after the first competition week. The fans in the southern Polish town will cheer the defending VNL champions on, while the selections of Argentina, Belgium, China, Germany and Turkiye try to improve their positions in the league ahead of the deciding third week of the Preliminary Phase, which will eventually clarify which teams advance to the quarterfinals and which one will be relegated.

Poland themselves are currently right on the edge of qualification zone for the Finals, in seventh place on a 2-2 win-loss record and 7 points, and will be looking to capitalize on their home court advantage this week to gain ground in the race for the quarterfinal spots. They will start the week on Wednesday at 20:00 local time (18:00 UTC) with a game against Belgium. The VNL rookies from western Europe also stand on 2-2, but with 5 points in 10^th place.

Action in Gliwice will serve off at 13:00 (11:00) with an encounter between China and Turkiye, one of the week’s two opening matches. Turkiye are 11^th in the table, just below Belgium, separated on set ratios, while the hosts of this year’s Finals stand on 1-3 and 4 in 14^th place.

The other fixture on the first competition day in Gliwice will set Germany against Argentina at 16:30 (14:30). The Germans are right below Belgium and Turkiye in the standings, in 12^th place, also behind only on set ratios, while the South Americans will be desperate to score their first wins of the season and distance themselves from the danger zone in the table. With just a point to their name, Argentina are just above the relegation spot, in 17^th place, edging bottom-placed Cuba on set ratios.

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Remake of World Championship final to open week in Ljubljana

Brazil, the undefeated table leaders after the first competition week, will play in Ljubljana this week. The pool in the Slovenian capital also features reigning world champions Italy and World Championship runners-up Bulgaria, as well as Canada, Ukraine and the home team.

In fact, one of the week’s openers will offer a remake of last year’s World Championship final between Italy and Bulgaria, serving off at 13:00 (11:00) on Wednesday. In the current standings, VNL 2025 runners-up Italy are fourth on 3-1 and 9, while Bulgaria occupy ninth place on 2-2 and 6.

Last year’s bronze medalists Brazil will hit the court in Ljubljana next, at 16:30 (14:30), looking for their fifth win of the season in a match against Ukraine. Brazil are on top of the standings on 4-0 and 11, and a better point ratio than that of second-placed Japan. Ukraine are right below the cut-off for the Finals, in eighth place on 2-2 and 7.

The first day in Ljubljana will close with a game between hosts Slovenia, standing sixth on 3-1 and 6, and Canada, occupying 13^th place on 1-3 and 6. The match is set to start at 20:30 (18:30).

In another highlight on the Ljubljana program, a titanic clash between Brazil and Italy is coming up on Friday at 20:00 (18:00).

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Olympic champs France looking to improve VNL standing at home in Orleans

France, the Olympic champions of the last two editions of the Games, are surprisingly low in the current VNL standings, third from the bottom, in 16^th place on 1-3 and 2. They will try to change that as they host one of this week’s pools in Orleans, featuring also the teams of Cuba, Iran, Japan, Serbia and USA.

In their home opener, France will take on Iran at 20:30 (18:30) on Wednesday. The Asian team is just above the Olympic champions in the table, in 15^th place on 1-3 and 4.

Orleans action will get underway at 13:30 (11:30) with a match between undefeated Japan, second on 4-0 and 11, and Serbia, fifth on 3-1 and 9.

Bottom trailers Cuba will then look for their first win of the season as they face the United States at 17:00 (15:00). The Cubans are the current residents of the relegation spot, the 18^th place, on 0-4 and 1, while the Americans are third on 3-1 and 9, slightly above Italy on point ratios.

USA v Japan on Saturday at 17:00 (15:00) and France v Japan at the same time on Sunday probably stand out among the many interesting fixtures on the Orleans program this week.