Bulgaria concluded its participation in EuroVolley 2026 with two nines – ninth place at the European Championship and ninth position in the world ranking. The latter can still theoretically change by the end of the championship, but for that, Germany must not only make a sensational breakthrough against Poland but also continue to win in the Final Four. Even a 3-0 victory over the Poles alone will not be enough for the Germans to overtake Bulgaria.
Gianlorenzo Blengini's team was eliminated in the round of 16 after a dramatic 2:3 (25:21, 25:21, 19:25, 23:25, 12:15) loss to Germany. Bulgaria was only one set away from a place among the top eight, but the Germans made a complete comeback and advanced to the quarterfinals.
In the final standings of those eliminated at this stage, Bulgaria is highest – in ninth position. Thus, at least for now, the team's place at EuroVolley coincides with its position in the world ranking.
The most significant rating bonus during the tournament came from the 3:2 victory over leader Poland. It brought Bulgaria 11.83 points, and their total reached 281.41. The subsequent loss to Germany took away some of the gains, but the national team maintained its ninth position.
Blengini spoke about this position even before EuroVolley
It is precisely here that the ninth place takes on another meaning. Even before the European Championship, Blengini explained that it is important for Bulgaria to stay around the Top 10 of the world ranking due to the Olympic qualification system.
"If we are in the Top 10 or 12 of the FIVB ranking, we should have a chance to qualify for the Games," the Italian specialist stated in May. He then recalled where the process began – Bulgaria was No. 23 in the world when he arrived and gradually reached the top ten.
After EuroVolley, the national team is exactly in the zone Blengini was talking about. And this is important because the next cycle is directly related to the big goal – the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
VNL and World Championship 2027 follow
In 2027, Bulgaria will play in the VNL and at the World Championship in Poland. The World Championship will distribute three more Olympic quotas – to the three highest-ranked teams that do not yet have a ticket to Los Angeles.
Four teams have already secured their participation in the Olympics – hosts USA, Japan, Brazil, and Cuba. The latter is particularly interesting from a Bulgarian perspective. The Cubans are immediately after Bulgaria in the world ranking and will participate in both the VNL and the 2027 World Championship, but they already have an Olympic quota and will not be a direct competitor in the final distribution through the ranking.
One more ticket will be distributed at EuroVolley. Poland, Italy, Slovenia, and France continue the battle for it, and all of them are ahead of Bulgaria in the world ranking. This means that regardless of which of them becomes European champion, another team ahead of the national team will be removed from the future calculation for quotas through the ranking.
No. 9 does not mean eight competitors ahead of Bulgaria
It is precisely here that the ninth place acquires its true value. By the final distribution of Olympic quotas, some of the teams ahead of Bulgaria will have already qualified for Los Angeles. The same can happen at the 2027 World Championship – every quota there for a team that is ahead of Bulgaria will free up another position in this peculiar Olympic queue.
The last three tickets to Los Angeles will be distributed through the world ranking after the preliminary phase of VNL 2028. Then, it will not only be important what place Bulgaria occupies, but also how many of the teams ahead of it have already qualified for the Olympics.
That is precisely why Blengini's words about staying around the Top 10-12 sound so relevant. Ninth place does not guarantee an Olympic quota – many matches and many points to be won or lost are ahead until the summer of 2028. But Bulgaria is already in the zone that the coach outlined as important for the path to Los Angeles.
photo: Nikolay Varadinov
