2021 VNL - Men's Team Stats

Sixteen men's teams open their campaigns to win the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Friday.

Read about the teams set to participate in this year's edition of the VNL below:

Argentina

Argentina finished 14th (2018) and seventh (2019) in the FIVB Volleyball Nations League. Bruno Lima was Argentina's top scorer in 2019 on 199 points. In 2018, Cristian Poglajen was the team's top scorer on 163 points.

Argentina participated in the World League 19 times. Their best result was a fourth place in 2011.

Sebastián Solé, Pablo Crer and Luciano De Cecco were part of Argentina's team in each of their last nine participations in the FIVB Volleyball World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Argentina won one medal in the Olympic Games, bronze in 1988. They were fifth in their last three Olympic Games, in 2004, 2012 and 2016. Argentina will also compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games later this year.

Argentina competed in 12 FIVB Volleyball World Championships: in 1960 and from 1978 to 2018. The finished third in 1982.

Argentina are a three-time Pan American Games gold medal winner, including in 2015 and 2019.

Argentina also competed once in the FIVB Volleyball World Grand Champions Cup, finishing sixth in 2001.

Australia

Australia finished 13th in both editions of the Volleyball Nations League. Lincoln Alexander Williams was Australia's top scorer in 2019 on 178 points. Jordan Richards was the team's highest scoring player in 2018 on 118 points.

Australia competed five times in the World League, in 1999 and from 2014 to 2017. They were fifth in 2014.

Luke Perry and Lincoln Williams were part of Australia's team in each of their last six participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Australia competed in three Olympic Games - 2000 (8th), 2004 (11th) and 2012 (9th).

Australia competed in seven World Championships, in 1982 and from 1998 to 2018. They were 14th in 2018.

Australia finished seventh in their only World Grand Champions Cup campaign in 1997.

Brazil

Brazil finished fourth in both editions of the Volleyball Nations League. Wallace De Souza was the VNL's top scorer in 2018 on 277 points. In 2019, Brazil's Ricardo Lucarelli Souza (259) and Yoandy Leal Hidalgo (243) were the second and third highest scoring players in the VNL, after Iran's Amir Ghafour (290).

Brazil are one of two teams, together with Italy, to have competed in all editions of the World League, from 1990 to 2017. Brazil won the competition a record nine times.

Bruno and Lucas were part of Brazil's team in each of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Brazil are the only team to have competed in all 14 Olympic Games. They won gold or silver in each of the last four Games: gold in 2004 and 2016 and silver in 2008 and 2012. They had also won gold in 1992. Brazil will try to win a record equalling fourth gold medal in Tokyo later this year (Russia / Soviet Union).

Brazil competed in 17 World Championships. They finished first (2002, 2006, 2010) or second (2014, 2018) in each of the last five editions.

Brazil either won the World Grand Champions Cup (1997, 2005, 2009, 2013, 2017), or they finished as runners up (1993, 2001).

Bulgaria

Bulgaria finished in 11th in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and 12th in 2019. Nikolay Uchikov (169) finished as Bulgaria's top scorer in 2018, and Tsvetan Sokolov (159) won the most points for the team in 2019.

Bulgaria competed in 20 World League campaigns with a fourth-place finish as their best result, most recently in 2012 and 2013.

Tsvetan Sokolov, Svetoslav Gotsev, Todor Skrimov were part of Bulgaria's team in each of their last eight participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Bulgaria competed in eight Olympic Games and claimed one medal, silver in 1980.

Bulgaria claimed a medal in five of their 18 World Championship campaigns: silver in 1970 and bronze in 1949, 1952, 1986 and 2006.

Bulgaria won five medals in the European Championships: one silver and four bronze.

Canada

Canada came seventh in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and ninth in 2019. Stephen Timothy Maar (165) won the most points for his team in 2018. In 2019, Maar scored 158 points, second-most for Canada, after Sharone Vernon-Evans (160).

Canada competed in the World League 11 times and they claimed their best result in 2017, a third place.

John Perrin, Blair Bann and Graham Vigrass were part of Canada's team in each of their last eight participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Later this year, Canada will compete in their fifth Olympic Games. Their best result was a fourth place in 1984. They were fifth in 2016.

Canada took part in 11 World Championships and their best result was a seventh place in 2014.

Canada claimed one NORCECA title, in 2015.

France

France were runners up in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and they finished sixth in 2019. Stephen Boyer was the VNL's third-highest scorer in 2018 on 257 points. Jean Patry (190) was France's top scorer in 2019.

France took part in 22 World League campaigns. Their recorded their best results in the last three editions: gold in 2015 and 2017 and a third place in 2016.

Jenia Grebennikov, Benjamin Toniutti and Julien Lyneel were part of Canada's team in each of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

France will compete in their fifth Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. They recorded their best result on their debut in 1988 (8th).

France's third place in 2002 is their best result in their 16 World Championships. They were fifth in their only World Grand Champions Cup in 2017.

France won one European Championship trophy, in 2015.

Germany

Germany finished ninth (2018) and 14th (2019) in the Volleyball Nations League. Simon Hirsch was his team's top scorer in both editions - 183 points in 2018 and 204 in 2019.

Germany's best result in 13 World League seasons was a fifth place in 2012.

Marcus Böhme, Christian Fromm and Denys Kaliberda were part of Germany's team in eight of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Germany's best result in the Olympic Games is claiming a silver medal in 1972 (as East Germany). They were fifth in 2012.

Germany won the 1970 world title (as East Germany). Their other World Championship medal was a bronze medal in 2014.

Iran

Iran finished 10th (2018) and fifth (2019) in the Volleyball Nations League. Amir Ghafour was the 2019 VNL's top scorer on 290 points. In 2018, Milad Ebadipour Ghara H. was Iran's top scoring player on 193 points.

Iran competed in the last five editions of the World League (2013-2017) and had recorded best result in 2014, fourth place.

Amir Ghafour, Mir Saeid Marouflakrani and Seyed Mohammad Mousavi Eraghi have been part of Iran's team in each of their last seven participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Iran will compete in their second successive Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. They finished fifth on their debut in 2016.

Iran competed in six World Championships, with a sixth place in 2014 as their highest rank. They took third place in the 2017 World Grand Champions Cup.

Recently, Iran won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and at the 2019 Asian Championship.

Italy

Italy finished eighth in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and occupied the same place in 2019. The team's top scorers in those editions were Ivan Zaytsev in 2018 (172) and Gabriele Nelli in 2019 (159).

Italy are one of two teams to have competed in all 28 World League editions, alongside Brazil. Italy won the competition eight times, second-most after Brazil's nine trophies.

Ivan Zaytsev and Filippo Lanza have been part of Italy's team in seven of their last eight participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be the 12th successive Games for Italy. The Italians won six medals (G0-S3-B3), including five medals in the last six Games, but they are still looking for their first gold medal.

Italy won the World Championship three times in a row, in 1990, 1994 and 1998. They finished fifth in the most recent edition, in 2018.

Italy won the first edition of the World Grand Champions Cup in 1993. They were runners up the last time it was held in 2017.

Japan

Japan came 10th in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, after a 12th place in the 2018 edition. Yuji Nishida was Japan's top scorer in both years - 187 points in 2018 and 219 in 2019.

Japan's best result in their 24 World League campaigns was a sixth place in 1990, 1993 and 2008.

Tatsuya Fukuzawa has been part of Japan's team in seven of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be the ninth Games for Japan and the first since 2008, when they finished 11th. Japan won a medal in each of the first three Games - bronze in 1964, silver in 1968 and gold in 1972.

Japan won eight gold medals at the Asian Games and they won the Asian Championship nine times.

Netherlands

Netherlands are making their debut in the Volleyball Nations League. They were third in the 2019 European Volleyball League. Nimir Abdel-Aziz was the competition's top scorer in 2019 on 162 points.

Netherlands claimed three podium finishes in their 21 World League campaigns: gold in 1996, silver in 1990 and bronze in 1998.

Nimir Abdel-Aziz, Thijs van der Horst, Gijs Jorna and Robbert Andringa participated for Netherlands in each of their last five World League campaigns.

Netherlands won two medals in the Olympic Games, silver in 1992 and gold in 1996, after a 3-2 win against Italy in the gold-medal match.

Netherlands' best result in 12 World Championships was a silver medal in 1994. They also finished runners up in their only World Grand Champions Cup in 1997.

The Dutch also won one European Championship, on home ground in 1997.

Poland

Poland were fifth in 2018 and claimed bronze in 2019 of the Volleyball Nations League. Bartosz Bednorz (221) won the most points for Poland in 2019, after Artur Szalpuk (126) had finished as Poland's top scorer in 2018.

Poland competed in all 20 World League editions since their debut in 1998. They won the trophy in 2012, one year after a third-place in 2011.

Fabian Drzyzga, Michal Kubiak and Pawel Zatorski were part of Poland's team in each of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Poland will compete in their 10th Olympic Games later this year. They won gold in 1976. Poland were ranked fifth in each of the last four Games.

Poland are the two-time reigning world champions from 2014 and 2018. They also won the trophy in 1974.

Poland finished fourth in their only World Grand Champions Cup in 2009.

Russia

Russia won the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and successfully defended their title in 2019. Egor Kliuka (224) and Mitriy Muserskiy (222) were the team's top scorers in 2018. In 2019, Victor Poletaev (239) scored most points for Russia.

Russia (and Soviet Union) have competed in the World League 25 times. The Russians won the trophy in 2002, 2011 and 2013 and they finished runners up on five occasions.

Maksim Mikhaylov has been part of Russia's team in eight of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Russia (including predecessors) won a record four Olympic gold medals. The team will also compete in Tokyo this year.

The Russians competed in all 19 World Championships. They won the trophy six times, but not since 1982 (as Soviet Union).

Russia finished second in their only World Grand Champions Cup in 2013.

Russia won the European Championship 14 times, most recently in 2013 and 2017.

Serbia

Serbia finished in 11th in the 2019 Volleyball Nations League, after a fifth-place finish in 2018. Drazen Luburic (156) was Serbia's leading points scorer in 2018. Lazar Cirovic (127) was the team's top scorer in 2019.

Serbia (including Serbia and Montenegro) competed 20 times in the World League. They won the league in 2016 and finished as runners up in five editions.

Uros Kovacevic and Aleksandar Atanasijevic were part of Serbia's team in each of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

Serbia (including predecessors) won Olympic gold in 2000, after a bronze medal in 1996.

Serbia (and predecessors) competed in 10 World Championships. Their best results are second place in 1998 and third place in 2010.

Serbia finished third in their only World Grand Champions Cup in 2001.

Serbia are the 2019 European Championship winners. It was the third time they lifted trophy, after 2001 and 2011.

Slovenia

Slovenia are making their debut in the Volleyball Nations League. The team won the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Men's Challenger Cup after a 3-0 win against Cuba in the final. Tonček Štern (61) was Slovenia's top scorer in that competition.

Slovenia took part in the World League in 2016 (25th place) and in 2017 (13th).

Twelve players in Slovenia's current team were also part of the team that competed in the 2016 and 2017 World League.

Slovenia have never competed in the Olympic Games. They finished 12th on their World Championship debut in 2018.

Slovenia finished runners-up at the most recent European Championship in 2019. They also finished second in the 2015 edition.

United States

USA took bronze in the 2018 Volleyball Nations League and finished runners up in 2019. Matthew Anderson was USA's top scorer in 2018 on 217 points. In 2019, Taylor Sander (197) won most points for the team.

USA competed in the World League 20 times. They lifted the trophy in 2008 and in 2014.

David Smith was part of USA's team in each of their last nine participations in the World League/Volleyball Nations League.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will be the 12th Games for USA. The team won gold in 1984, 1988 and 2008. They claimed bronze medals in 1992 and in 2016.

United States won the World Championship in 1986. They claimed bronze in 1994 and 2018.

USA's best result in the World Grand Champions Cup was a second place in 2005.

USA's most recent NORCECA win was in 2017. They were runners up in 2019.