The 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup roadmap

North American host cities and tournament structure

The 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup takes place in North America from August 20 to September 5, 2027. This tournament includes 32 teams. The United States and Canada host the event. Matches happen in Anaheim, Omaha, Orlando, Montreal, and Quebec City. The final matches take place at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The pool play phase occurs at the Centre Bell in Montreal, the CHI Health Center Arena in Omaha, the Kia Center in Orlando, and the Videotron Centre in Quebec City. You already know the tournament name changed from the World Championship to the World Cup on March 5, 2026. The tournament follows a format where two teams from each pool advance to the Round of 16. The 32 national teams that will compete in the 2027 FIVB Women’s Volleyball World Cup learned their specific pool assignments during a global webcast held in North America on October 26, 2026. The competition comprises the quarterfinals, the semifinals, the bronze medal match, and the final. This event is the second time in history that 32 national teams participate in the tournament. The competition spans 17 days across North America.

Qualification results and pool assignments

The qualification period for the 2027 event ended in late 2026. Fifteen teams qualified through continental tournaments. Africa sent Egypt, Kenya, and Cameroon. Asia sent Thailand, China, and Japan. Europe sent Turkiye, Serbia, and Poland. The NORCECA region sent Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. South America sent Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia. The remaining 14 spots went to teams based on the FIVB World Ranking as of October 2. These teams are the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Czechia, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Mexico, Ukraine, Greece, Korea, Bulgaria, and Switzerland. Switzerland makes its first appearance in the tournament with a world ranking of 30.

The 32 teams split into eight groups of four. Pool G includes Canada, Serbia, Ukraine, and Cameroon. Pool E contains Poland, Germany, Slovenia, and Cuba. Pool H consists of China, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. Pool C includes Turkiye, the Dominican Republic, France, and Egypt. Pool A includes Tunisia, Iran, Philippines, and Egypt.

The path to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics

The 2027 tournament provides a pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The three highest-finishing teams that do not already have an Olympic berth will earn a spot in the 2028 Games. The 2027 tournament format imposes heavy travel burdens on teams moving between Canadian and American host cities. The current champions are Italy, who won the 2025 tournament in Thailand. In the 2025 tournament, Tunisia finished first in Pool A with 6 points, while the USA finished first in Pool D with 9 points. In Pool B, Poland finished with 9 points and Romania finished with 0 points. In Pool C, Argentina finished with 7 points and Finland finished with 6 points. In Pool D, Portugal finished with 5 points and Cuba finished with 3 points. In Pool E, Slovenia finished with 7 points and Germany finished with 3 points. In Pool F, Belgium finished with 8 points and Italy finished with 7 points. In Pool G, Turkiye finished with 9 points and Canada finished with 6 points. In Pool H, Serbia finished with 6 points, the Czech Republic finished with 6 points, and Brazil finished with 6 points. In Pool A, Iran finished with 5 points and the Philippines finished with 4 points. In Pool C, France finished with 5 points. In Pool D, Colombia finished with 1 point. In Pool E, Chile finished with 0 points. In Pool F, Ukraine finished with 3 points and Algeria finished with 0 points. In Pool G, Japan finished with 3 points and Lybia finished with 0 points. In Pool H, China finished with 0 points.

Will the expansion to 32 teams impact the quality of the knockout rounds?