In another action that aims to keep pace with volleyball’s continuous global expansion, the FIVB has announced that the FIVB Volleyball World Championship, the sport’s flagship international tournament, will now be known as the FIVB Volleyball World Cup.
The change has been approved by the FIVB Board of Administration and the new name will be first adopted in the 2027 edition of the tournament, which will have the men competing in Poland and the women playing in the United States and Canada.
Using the FIVB Volleyball World Cup designation reinforces volleyball’s position as a global sport, as it aligns with the name used for the most prestigious events in several other disciplines, generating immediate recognition and understanding among athletes and fans alike.
In 2022 and 2023, the FIVB announced significant changes for the event, also aligned with the sport’s global growth. Since the most recent edition, held in 2025, the event features 32 national teams in each gender and is played every two years, moving away from the previous four-year period.
The tournament’s current competition format is also the same typically used in classic World Cup events, beginning with pool play and continuing with elimination rounds, semifinals, and a final to determine the champions, with matches spread across multiple cities in the host countries.
The new format has further elevated the value of the tournament, which now also serves as an Olympic Qualifier. In 2027, the top three national teams in each gender not yet qualified will earn spots in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
