Sir Sicooma Monini Perugia will participate in the 2026 Men's FIVB Volleyball Club World Championship. The Italian powerhouse is the second confirmed participant in the competition after Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie.
Perugia will arrive in Poland as the reigning club world champion, having won the title at the 2025 Club World Championship in Brazil. The participation of the Italian powerhouse further raises the tournament's class. Perugia is among the dominant forces in European club volleyball and is also a Champions League trophy holder.
Perugia's squad also includes Polish international Kamil Semeniuk, which will certainly make the team even more interesting for the local audience.
New information from "Przegląd Sportowy" also reveals details about the tournament's relocation from Brazil to Poland. According to the publication, Volleyball World approached the management of Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie with a hosting proposal after the contract with Brazil expired.
The Polish club and Volleyball World have reached a two-year agreement, meaning Poland will host the Club World Championship not only in 2026 but also in 2027.
Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie also had to pay a fee for organizing the competition. The official amount remains a trade secret, but according to unofficial information cited by Polish media, the sum is around 500,000 euros. Expectations are that with serious attendance and sponsor support, the investment will be recovered.
The organizers have chosen a model of holding the Club World Championship in three different cities. Group stage matches will be played in Katowice and Sosnowiec, while the semifinals and medal matches will be in Częstochowa.
Crispin Baran explained that the goal is to use the hosting to promote world club volleyball in more Polish cities. According to him, Katowice and Sosnowiec offer conditions for excellent attendance in the group stage, while the larger hall in Częstochowa is suitable for the decisive matches. Besides Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie and Sir Sicooma Monini Perugia, the two Brazilian representatives Sada Cruzeiro and Renata Vôlei, as well as Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi from Indonesia, Foolad Sirjan from Iran, and Egyptian Al Ahly Cairo, have been named for the tournament.
According to information from Polish media, the last quota will most likely be granted to Ziraat Bank Ankara, who finished third in the last edition of the Champions League.
| Team | Country | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie | Poland | Confirmed |
| Sir Sicooma Monini Perugia | Italy | Confirmed |
| Sada Cruzeiro | Brazil | Expected participant |
| Renata Volei | Brazil | Expected participant |
| Jakarta Bhayangkara Presisi | Indonesia | Expected participant |
| Foolad Sirjan | Iran | Expected participant |
| Al Ahly Cairo | Egypt | Expected participant |
| Ziraat Bank Ankara | Turkey | Probable participant |
If the information is definitively confirmed, the squad will include representatives from Europe, South America, Asia, and Africa. The European presence seems particularly strong with Perugia, Zawiercie, and possibly Ziraat Bank, while Sada Cruzeiro is traditionally among the main contenders for the world club title. Interestingly, despite being the host, Aluron CMC Warta Zawiercie will most likely remain the only Polish team in the tournament. The confirmation of Perugia is a serious statement about the level of the Club World Championship. The Italian giant will have the opportunity to defend its world title, this time on the European stage, while Poland prepares to host the strongest clubs in the world for two consecutive years.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
