2026 CEV European Men's Volleyball Championship

2026 CEV European Men's Volleyball Championship is an international sporting event organized by the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) and features the top men's national volleyball teams from across Europe. This tournament marks the 34th edition in the championship's history. The hosting duties will be jointly carried out by Italy Bulgaria Finland and Romania. The official schedule for the championship is planned between 9–24 September 2026 or 9–26 September 2026. A total of 24 teams will participate with the final and medal matches to be held in Milan Italy.

The group stage and subsequent elimination rounds will be hosted in designated cities and venues across the four co-hosting nations:

• Group A: Organized in Naples and Modena Italy.
• Group B: Held in Sofia the capital of Bulgaria.
• Group C: Conducted in Tampere Finland.
• Group D: Played at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca Romania.
• Quarterfinals Third Place and Final Rounds: To be held in Milan Italy.

The 24 national teams competing in the championship are divided into four groups of six teams each. The group distribution is as follows:

• Group A (Italy – Naples / Modena): Italy Sweden Slovenia Czech Republic Greece Slovakia.
• Group B (Bulgaria – Sofia): Bulgaria Israel North Macedonia Poland Portugal Ukraine.
• Group C (Finland – Tampere): Finland Belgium Denmark Estonia Netherlands Serbia.
• Group D (Romania – Cluj-Napoca): Romania France Germany Latvia Türkiye Switzerland.

The group stage and elimination rounds will follow a specific chronological schedule:

• Group Stage (9–17 September 2026): Each group will consist of six teams. The opening match of the tournament will be played on 9 September 2026 at 19:00 Turkey Time (TSİ) between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. The top four teams from each group will qualify for the Round of 16.
• Round of 16 (19–21 September 2026): The 16 qualifying teams will compete in single-elimination matches.
• Quarterfinals (22–24 September 2026): The teams advancing from the Round of 16 will compete in this stage.
• Semifinals (25 September 2026 Friday): The quarterfinal winners will face each other in Milan.
• Third Place and Final Matches (26 September 2026 Saturday): The matches to determine the third-place finisher and champion will be held in Milan concluding the championship.

The Türkiye Men's National Volleyball Team also known in public discourse as "Filenin Efeleri" is placed in Group D. All of the team's group stage matches will be played at the BT Arena in Cluj-Napoca Romania. Türkiye's group stage opponents are Romania Latvia France Germany and Switzerland.

The Group D fixture and match times (TSİ) for the Türkiye Men's National Volleyball Team are as follows:

• 10 September 2026 (TSİ 21:00): Türkiye vs Germany
• 12 September 2026 (TSİ 18:00): France vs Türkiye
• 13 September 2026 (TSİ 18:00): Switzerland vs Türkiye
• 14 September 2026 (TSİ 21:00): Romania vs Türkiye
• 16 September 2026 (TSİ 18:00): Türkiye vs Latvia

The previous edition of the CEV European Men's Volleyball Championship concluded with a final match held in Rome Italy in 2023. In that final Poland defeated host nation Italy 3–0 to claim the European championship title. The Poland Men's National Volleyball Team will compete in the 2026 tournament aiming to retain their title and secure their third championship win in the event's history.

2026 CEV Enel Men's European Volleyball Championship In the opening match of Group D, the A National Men's Volleyball Team faced Germany and lost the match 3-1. This match, part of the tournament hosted by Romania, Finland, Bulgaria and Italy, was played at the BT Arena in Cluj, Romania.

The technical details, officiating crew and team lineups for the match are as follows:

• Date and Location: 10 September 2026, BT Arena (Cluj / Romania).
• Referees: Vlastimil Kovar (Czech Republic) and Alexandros Mylonakis (Greece).
• Set Scores: 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 19-25.
• Total Duration: 120 minutes (Set durations: 29, 31, 31 and 29 minutes respectively).
• Protocol Attendance: The match was attended by Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF), Semih Oktay, Vice President of TVF responsible for National Teams, and Umut Bağlı, Member of the TVF Supervisory Board.

^{First Match: Türkiye 1–3 Germany (AA)}

Efe Bayram, Ahmet Tümer, Murat Yenipazar, Gökçen Yüksel, Marko Matic (Mert Matic), Adis Lagumdzija and Berkay Bayraktar (L) started the match. During the match, Kaan Gürbüz, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Hilmi Şahin and Abdulsamet Yalçın entered the game.

Tille, Reichert, Brehme, Röhrs, Brand, Krick and Schott / Schoott (L) formed the starting lineup. Peter, Zimmermann and Mohwinkel (also Böhme) were among the substitutes.

^{First Match: Türkiye 1–3 Germany (AA)}

After mutual service errors at the start of the set, Türkiye fell behind 3-5. A four-point run then brought the score to 7-5 in Türkiye's favor. An advantage gained during Adis Lagumdzija's service turn extended the lead to four points (12-8). Türkiye maintained its advantage and won the first set, lasting 29 minutes, 25-23, to take a 1-0 lead.

Germany began the second set with a 5-1 advantage. Türkiye tied the score at 7-7 through effective spikes and then took a 10-9 lead. Germany, increasing its offensive impact, moved ahead 14-17. Although Türkiye leveled the score at 19-19 in the final phase of the set, Germany won the 31-minute set 25-22 to level the match at 1-1.

Germany started the third set strongly and built an 8-5 lead. By committing fewer errors and scoring points through spikes, Germany won the 31-minute set 25-21 to take a 2-1 lead in sets.

^{First Match: Türkiye 1-3 Germany (AA)}

The fourth set began with alternating points, reaching 5-5 after the first ten rallies. Germany extended its lead to four points at 9-13. Türkiye then tied the score at 14-14 thanks to points from Gökçen Yüksel and Ahmet Tümer. Germany responded with a 6-1 run to move ahead 20-15. Germany won the final set, lasting 29 minutes, 25-19, to secure the match 3-1.

Following the match, comments were made by 27-year-old opposite hitter Adis Lagumdzija and Efe Bayram from the Türkiye squad:

• Adis Lagumdzija: He noted that the team played effectively in the first set and won it, but struggled in the following sets. He stated that Germany outperformed Türkiye in the key strengths of the team—serving and blocking—and that Türkiye was unable to execute its intended serves and could not open the opponent beyond three meters. He highlighted that no opponent in the group is easy, referencing France’s difficulty against Switzerland.
• Efe Bayram: He said the team did not perform at its usual level and identified serving and reception as the most decisive factors in the match. He noted that the usual advantages in serving and reception were not achieved in this match. He reminded everyone that this was only the first match of the group and that four more matches remain ahead.

After all Group D matches of the 2026 CEV European Championship are completed, the top four teams in the standings will qualify for the Round of 16. All group matches are hosted at the BT Arena.

The remaining schedule for the A National Men's Volleyball Team in Group D is as follows:

• 12 September 2026 (TSİ 17:00): France - Türkiye
• 13 September 2026 (TSİ 17:00): Switzerland - Türkiye
• 14 September 2026 (TSİ 20:00): Romania - Türkiye
• 16 September 2026 (TSİ 17:00): Türkiye - Latvia

The second match of Group D at the 2026 CEV Men’s European Volleyball Championship was played on 12 September 2026 between the men’s national volleyball teams of France and Türkiye.

The match was held at the BT Arena in Cluj, Romania, and was officiated by the refereeing pair Vlastimil Kovar from the Czech region and Alexandre Vitor Goncalves (Vitor Alexandre Goncalves) from the Portuguese region. The French national team won the match 3-0 with set scores of 25-19, 25-20 and 25-19. The total duration of the match was 82 minutes, with the first set lasting 27 minutes, the second set 28 minutes and the third set 27 minutes. The match was watched from the arena by Mehmet Akif Üstündağ, President of the Turkish Volleyball Federation (TVF), Semih Oktay, Vice President of TVF responsible for National Teams, and Umut Bağlı, Member of the TVF Supervisory Board.

The starting lineup for the French national team consisted of Brizard, Henno, Huetz, Faure, Trevor Clevenot and Iyegbekedo, with Diez playing as libero. During the later stages of the match, Tizi-Oualou (Tizi-Oualau) and Duflos-Rossi were introduced.

^{Second Match: France 3-0 Türkiye (AA)}

The Turkish national team took the court with Efe Bayram, Ahmet Tümer, Murat Yenipazar, Gökçen Yüksel, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Adis Lagumdzija and Abdulsamet Yalçın as libero in the starting six. During the match, Kaan Gürbüz, Mert Matic (Marko), Cafer Kirkit and Hilmi Şahin entered as substitutes. Libero Berkay Bayraktar was not included in the match roster due to injury.

The first set began with mutual points from both teams, reaching a 4-4 tie. France then scored four consecutive points during Trevor Clevenot’s serve, forcing a timeout from Türkiye. After the timeout, the game stabilized but France maintained a four-point lead, extending the score to 11-7. The remainder of the set was marked by alternating points, and France closed the first set 25-19.

^{Second Match: France 3-0 Türkiye (AA)}

Türkiye started the second set with three consecutive points. France responded with a five-point run to two points, leveling the score at 5-5. As the match progressed, France increased its dominance and extended its lead to five points, reaching a score of 15-10. Türkiye managed to reduce the gap to a single point at 19-18 by converting blocks and defensive organization into points. However, France regained control in the final phase of the set and closed it 25-20.

^{Second Match: France 3-0 Türkiye (AA)}

In the first 26 points of the third set, the score difference never exceeded two points, reaching a 13-13 tie. Türkiye responded to France’s three-point run with points from Adis Lagumdzija. France maintained its advantage and closed the set 25-19, securing the match 3-0.

After defeating Switzerland 3-0 in their first match of Group D, the reigning two-time Olympic champions France secured their second win in the group by defeating Türkiye. Türkiye, having lost their first match in the championship 3-1 to Germany, suffered their second defeat in the group stage with this loss.

The top four teams in the Group D standings after all matches at the BT Arena will qualify for the Round of 16. Following this match, the Turkish national team enters a schedule of three consecutive matches. On 13 September 2026 at 17:00 TRT time, they will face Switzerland; on 14 September 2026 at 20:00 TRT time, they will play host nation Romania; and in their final group match on 16 September 2026 at 17:00 TRT time, they will face Latvia.

^{Third Match: Türkiye 3-0 Switzerland (AA)}

The third match of Group D at the 2026 CEV Men’s European Volleyball Championship was contested between the men’s national volleyball teams of Türkiye and Switzerland. The match took place at the BT Arena in Cluj, Romania, and ended with a 3-0 victory for Türkiye. The set scores were recorded as 25-23, 25-19 and 25-19.

The Türkiye A Men’s National Volleyball Team lost its first two matches in Group D against Germany and France. The Switzerland A Men’s National Volleyball Team also lost both of its first two matches in the group. Prior to this match, neither team had secured a win in the group. Slobodan Kovac is the head coach of the Türkiye A Men’s National Volleyball Team.

^{Third Match: Türkiye 3-0 Switzerland (AA)}

• Türkiye Roster
• • Starting Lineup: Efe Bayram, Ahmet Tümer, Murat Yenipazar, Gökçen Yüksel, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Adis Lagumdzija
  • Libero: Abdulsamet Yalçın
  • Substitutes: Kaan, Marko, Cafer Kirkit, Hilmi, Yunus Emre
• Switzerland Roster
• • Starting Lineup: Migge, Hauck, Egger, Kolb, Lengweiler, Weisigk
  • Libero: Fischer
  • Substitutes: Jukic-Sunaric, Harksen, Schalch, Zeller, Maag

^{Third Match: Türkiye 3-0 Switzerland (AA)}

The match began with alternating points from both teams. Türkiye took the lead 6-4 with points from Ahmet Samet Baltacı’s serve and established two separate advantages. During Adis Lagumdzija’s serve, Türkiye extended its lead to double digits and increased the gap to four points. Switzerland responded with a 7-2 run through dominant attacks, tying the score at 13-13. Although Switzerland briefly held a three-point advantage during the set, Türkiye leveled the score at 21-21. In the final phase, Türkiye maintained composure and won the set 25-23 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

^{Third Match: Türkiye 3-0 Switzerland (AA)}

Türkiye started the second set with a four-point run and maintained its lead in the early phase. After a series of alternating points, Türkiye extended its advantage to five points, reaching 20-15. In the remainder of the set, Türkiye prevented Switzerland from closing the gap and closed the set 25-19, taking a 2-0 lead in the match.

Türkiye established an 8-3 advantage at the start of the third set. After alternating points, Switzerland increased its impact and reduced the gap to three points (12-15). Türkiye then regained control with a three-point run and reached a 20-15 lead with a spike by Cafer Kirkit. Türkiye maintained its dominance in the final phase and closed the set 25-19, completing the match with a 3-0 victory. The total duration of the match was recorded as 87 minutes.

With this result, Türkiye secured its first win in the third match of Group D at the 2026 CEV European Championship. Switzerland suffered its third consecutive defeat in the group.

The remaining Group D schedule for the Türkiye A Men’s National Volleyball Team is as follows:

• 14 September 2026 (Monday), 20:00 TRT: Romania vs Türkiye (BT Arena / Live Broadcast: TRT Spor Yıldız)
• 16 September 2026 (Wednesday), 17:00 TRT: Türkiye vs Latvia (BT Arena / Live Broadcast: TRT Spor)

Fourth match of Group D at the 2026 CEV Enel Men's European Volleyball Championship, played on 14 September 2026 at the BT Arena in Cluj, Romania, between the Türkiye A National Men's Volleyball Team and the host Romania A National Men's Volleyball Team. This match, part of the tournament co-hosted by Romania, Finland, Bulgaria and Italy, ended with a 3-1 victory for Romania. The set scores were 25-19, 25-21, 20-25 and 25-18, with the total match duration recorded at 110 minutes.

^{Romania 3–1 Türkiye (AA)}

The technical details, officiating crew and team rosters for the match are as follows:

• Date: 14 September 2026
• Venue: BT Arena (Cluj, Romania)
• Referees: Maria de las Olas Machin Rodrigez (Spain) and Vlastimil Kovar (Czech Republic)
• Match Duration: 110 minutes
• Türkiye Roster: Murat, Gökçen, Marko, Kaan, Efe, Ahmet, Abdulsamet (L) (Substitutes who entered the match: Cafer, Hilmi)
• Romania Roster: Bala, Bartha, Dumitru, Chitigoi, Lupu, Rata, Kosinski (L) (Substitutes who entered the match: Balean, Taranu Runcan, Aciobanitei, Magdas, Bratu)
• Coaching Staff and Absences: Slobodan Kovac was head coach of the Türkiye A National Men's Volleyball Team. Due to injury, setter cross Adis Lagumdzija did not play in this match. Türkiye, ranked 10th in the world, was missing him.

The flow of play and set progression occurred chronologically as follows:

The match began with host Romania leading 6-4. Türkiye, struggling with reception, saw head coach Slobodan Kovac call a timeout when the score was 9-5 in Romania's favor. After the timeout, Türkiye improved its performance and reduced the deficit to three points (15-12). However, backed by home crowd support, Romania maintained its advantage in the closing stages and won the first set 25-19 to take a 1-0 lead in the match.

^{Romania 3-1 Türkiye (AA)}

The second set started with alternating points. After a four-point run, Romania extended its lead to 12-7. In the middle phase, both teams scored points due to service errors, but Türkiye narrowed the gap to two points at 16-14. In the closing stages, Romania's more effective offense secured the second set 25-21, extending their lead to 2-0 in the match.

The first 16 points of the third set ended in an 8-8 tie. Türkiye gained dominance in spikes and finished the opening phase of the set leading 11-8. Continuing their strong performance on court, Türkiye extended the gap to seven points (14-21) and won the set 25-20, leveling the match at 2-1.

The fourth set began with alternating points and was tied at 10-10. Romania took the lead with four consecutive points during a service run by Rata. Türkiye responded with a block by Gökçen Yüksel to reduce the score to 14-12. In the remainder of the set, Romania capitalized on home crowd support to pull away and win the set 25-18, securing the match 3-1.

^{Romania 3–1 Türkiye (AA)}

After the completion of the fourth group matches, the standings and team positions in the group were as follows:

• Romania's Position: With their second win in the group, Romania increased their points to seven and secured qualification for the round of 16 with one match remaining in the group stage.
• Türkiye's Position: Following this defeat, Türkiye's chances of advancing from the group now depend on their final match. According to tournament rules, only the top four teams in each group qualify for the next round. Türkiye can still reach the round of 16 only if they win their fifth match and finish fourth in the group.
• Fifth Group Match: Türkiye will face Latvia in their fifth and final Group D match on Wednesday, 16 September 2026 at 17:00 TRT time. The match will be broadcast live on TRT Spor.

The 2026 CEV Men's European Volleyball Championship is an international volleyball competition hosted jointly by Romania, Finland, Bulgaria, and Italy. The Türkiye Men's National Volleyball Team and the Latvia Men's Volleyball Team faced each other in the fifth and final match of Group D. The match took place on 16 September 2026 at the BT Arena in Cluj, Romania, with referees Vlastimil Kovar from the Czech Republic and Maria de las Olas Rodriguez Machin from Spain officiating. The match ended with a 3-1 victory for Latvia. As a result, Türkiye, having won one and lost four of their five matches in Group D, finished fifth in the group and was eliminated from the championship. Latvia, finishing fourth in the group, advanced to the round of 16 and was paired against Poland, the winner of Group B.

The Türkiye Men's National Volleyball Team faced various player absences and injuries throughout the championship. Efe Mandıracı and Bedirhan Bülbül were unable to participate due to injuries. Adis Lagumdzija, Mirza Lagumdzija, and Berkay Bayraktar, who were injured during the group stage matches, did not play in some games. With libero Berkay Bayraktar injured, national outside hitter Yasin Aydın was promoted from the reserve squad and played against Latvia.

^{Fifth Match: Latvia 3-1 Türkiye (AA)}

Türkiye fielded Mert Matic (Marko Matic), Murat Yenipazar, Gökçen Yüksel, Ahmet Tümer, Kaan Gürbüz, and Efe Bayram as starters, with Abdulsamet Yalçın playing as libero. During the match, Yunus Emre Tayaz, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Yasin Aydın, and Hilmi Şahin came off the bench. Latvia's starting lineup consisted of Freimanis, Skruders, Medenis, Dudens, Jansons, Smits, and libero Kronbergs, while Silavs, Rokjans, Dardzans, and Landzans were used as substitutes.

The first set of the 120-minute match lasted 31 minutes. The set began with both teams exchanging points, reaching a 12-12 tie. Latvia extended their lead to three points (12-15) during Jansons' service run and built a 17-20 advantage by effectively countering Türkiye's attacks. Türkiye leveled the score at 21-21 with two service aces from Kaan Gürbüz, forcing the set into a tiebreak at 24-24. In the tiebreak, Latvia secured two points—one from a spike and one from a block—to win the set 26-24 and take a 1-0 lead in the match.

^{Fifth Match: Latvia 3-1 Türkiye (AA)}

The second set also lasted 31 minutes and ended with a 25-23 victory for Türkiye. Türkiye started strong with two consecutive points during Murat Yenipazar's service run, leading 11-8 in the first half and maintaining a three-point advantage at 15-12. In response to Latvia's two-point run, Türkiye countered with a service ace from Ahmet Samet Baltacı and effective blocks to extend their lead to four points (18-14). Although Latvia tied the score at 22-22 in the closing stages, Türkiye clinched the set 25-23 to level the match at 1-1.

^{Fifth Match: Latvia 3-1 Türkiye (AA)}

The third set lasted 33 minutes and was won by Latvia 26-24. Latvia initially led 7-10, but Türkiye responded with five consecutive points during Murat Yenipazar's service run to take a 12-10 lead. Latvia then mounted a 5-1 run to go ahead 13-15. Türkiye equalized at 19-19 thanks to a spike by Gökçen Yüksel. In the final phase, Latvia failed to convert two set points at 22-24, forcing the set to 24-24. A service error by Türkiye and a spike by Smits allowed Latvia to win the set 26-24 and take a 2-1 lead in the match.

In the 25-minute fourth set, Latvia delivered a strong start, building an eight-point advantage and extending their lead to 9-17. Sustaining their dominance, Latvia won the set 25-16 and the match 3-1, securing their place in the round of 16.