The group stage of EuroVolley 2026 is now history. Sixteen teams advance to the direct eliminations, eight have concluded their participation, but the five matches played left a significant mark on the world ranking.
And there, the balance sheet sometimes looks quite different from the standings of the European Championship itself. The reason is that the value of a win or loss also depends on the opponent's position. Thus, a success against a much higher-ranked team can bring a double-digit number of points, while an expected victory against a team from the bottom of the ranking brings very little.
We calculated for all 24 participants, summing up the change in the world ranking from each of their five group stage matches.

Romania is the big winner – +26.11 points

No one gained more than Romania –+26.11 pointsfor the five matches in Cluj-Napoca.
The beginning did not at all suggest such a development. The 1:3 loss to Latvia cost 9.28 points, but then the Romanians started to catch up. The victory over Switzerland brought 8.46, the 2:3 defeat to Germany cost a symbolic 0.01, and the big hit came in the last two matches.
The 3:1 success over Turkey added 13.96 points, and the dramatic 3:2 against France added another 12.98.
Thus, Romania finished the group with +26.11 points and became the team that benefited the most for its world ranking from the first phase of EuroVolley.

Turkey – from No. 10 to No. 17

At the other pole is Turkey.
The Turks started the European Championship as No. 10 in the world, and after their five matches, they are now No. 17 with 227.18 points.
The total loss is huge– 41.30 points.
The defeat by Germany cost 8.98, that by France another 7.49. The victory over Switzerland brought back 3.68, but then followed the two heaviest blows – minus 13.96 against Romania and minus 14.55 against Latvia.
The result is -41.30 points, seven lost positions, and elimination already in the group stage.

Bulgaria is among the winners – +9.16 points

Bulgaria also exits the group stage with a positive balance.
The 3:0 victories over North Macedonia and Portugal brought +1.85 and +3.40 points respectively. Then, the 1:3 defeat to Ukraine took away 8.96, and the 3:1 success over Israel added another 1.04.
So, after the first four matches, Bulgaria's tally was:
+1.85 + 3.40 - 8.96 + 1.04 = -2.67 points.
And then came Poland.
The 3:2 victory against the world's No. 1 brought Bulgaria a total of +11.83 points. Thus, the accumulated deficit of 2.67 points was not only erased but also turned into a significant positive balance:
-2.67 + 11.83 = +9.16 points.
This is Bulgaria's final balance from the five matches in the group –+9.16 points. Our national team enters the round of 16 asNo. 9 in the world with 281.41 points.

Greece and Belgium also made a big impact

After Romania, Greece has the most significant positive balance – +19.37 points.
The 3:1 victory over Slovenia proved particularly valuable, bringing the Greeks 15.97 points by itself.
Belgium is right behind them with +18.90. The 3:0 victory over Serbia in the last round alone added 10.53 points.
Latvia also benefited greatly – +14.51, with the decisive blow being the 3:1 victory over Turkey and the 14.55 points gained.
Ukraine finished the group with +13.61, Denmark with +13.21, and Finland with +11.41. The Finns had accumulated an even more significant asset, but the 2:3 defeat to Estonia in the last round cost them 10.64 points.

The Netherlands lost almost 34 points, Serbia also paid dearly

After Turkey, the heaviest losses are for the Netherlands – -33.98 points.
The Dutch not only dropped out of EuroVolley but lost a huge part of their ranking points. The 0:3 defeat to Denmark alone cost them 13.42 points, and the 1:3 loss to Estonia – another 10.39.
Serbia advances to the round of 16, but does so with -16.11 points from the group stage. The 0:3 losses to Finland and Belgium cost 10.51 and 10.53 points respectively.
The Serbs are now #18 in the world with 218.88 points and will face Slovenia in the round of 16. The Slovenians are also among the losers – -15.74 points, with the 1:3 loss to Greece alone costing them 15.97.

Estonia's victory also turned its account around

The last day provided a good example of how quickly the balance can change.
Before the match against Finland, Estonia was at -4.08 points from its first four matches. However, the 3:2 victory over the Finns brought 10.64 points and turned the entire tournament for the Estonians into +6.56 points for the world ranking.
Italy also finished in the plus. Before the last match, the European champions had accumulated +3.02, and the 3:2 victory over Slovenia added another 3.52. Thus, Italy finished the group stage with +6.54 points and now has 362.38 points as #2 in the world.

Who gained and who lost the most

After the five matches, the picture is clear. The biggest winner isRomania with +26.11 points, followed byGreece (+19.37)andBelgium (+18.90). Followed by Latvia (+14.51), Ukraine (+13.61), Denmark (+13.21), Finland (+11.41) and Bulgaria (+9.16).
At the opposite pole isTurkey with -41.30 points, followed by Netherlands (-33.98), Slovakia (-16.34), Serbia (-16.11) and Slovenia (-15.74).
And here one of the paradoxes of the system is visible – reaching the round of 16 does not always mean a gain for the world ranking, as Serbia and Slovenia show. At the same time, the eliminated Estonia leaves with a positive balance.

And Russia remains #3, without playing

Amidst all these movements, there is one particularly interesting case.
Russia is not participating in EuroVolley, but remains No. 3 in the world ranking with 352.10 points.
Russia does not earn points while not playing, but at the same time does not expose its assets to the risk that participating teams take with each match. Turkey is the clearest example of how more than 40 points and seven positions can be lost in just five matches.
And while EuroVolley has ended for eight teams, for the remaining 16, movement in the rankings continues. From now on, every win or loss will have a double price –points for the world ranking and a place in the next phase of the European Championship.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov and cev.eu