Bulgaria will be among the eight teams in Pot 1 for the draw of the 2027 Men's Volleyball World Championship in Poland. The huge leap of our national team in the world rankings radically changes its position compared to the previous World Cup – two years ago, the "Lions" were in the third pot, and now they will be among the seeded teams.
However, the final draw procedure has not yet been published by FIVB, and an extremely curious detail depends precisely on it – whether Bulgaria will once again find itself in the same elimination bracket as Poland.
The draw for the 2027 World Cup is expected in early December in the Wieliczka Salt Mine near Krakow. The Vice-Marshal of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Witold Kozłowski, has already officially announced the location and period, and in an interview for "Gazeta Krakowska" he indicated December 6, 2026, as the most probable date.
What is still awaited from FIVB are the Competition Regulations for the championship and the specific procedure by which the draw will be conducted.

From No. 19 and third pot to No. 9 and first pot

The difference compared to the previous World Championship is enormous. When determining the participants for the 2025 World Cup, FIVB used the world ranking as of August 30, 2024. Bulgaria was then No. 19 in the world and was among the teams in the third pot.
The draw, held on September 14, 2024, in Manila, sent the national team to Group E with Slovenia, Germany, and Chile. The Slovenians were the seeded team and group leader, Germany was in the second pot, Bulgaria – in the third, and Chile – in the fourth.
Just two years later, the picture is completely different. Bulgaria finished the national season in 2026 in ninth place in the world rankings with 274.55 points. Russia is ahead of us in the ranking, but will not participate in the 2027 World Cup, as the Russian federation has officially notified FIVB that it voluntarily withdraws from participation.
Thus, Bulgaria becomes the eighth highest-ranked team among the 32 participants in the World Championship and is placed in Pot 1.

What Pot 1 looks like

In the current situation, the eight highest-ranked participants are:
Poland
Italy
USA
Japan
Brazil
France
Slovenia
Bulgaria
This means that with a normal distribution of the pots, Bulgaria cannot meet any of the other seven teams in the group stage.

The big unknown is how FIVB will distribute the top seeds

Here comes the most interesting question. In the draw for the 2025 World Championship, the top seeds of the eight groups did not participate in the drawing at all. Host Philippines was automatically placed at the top of Group A, regardless of its position in the world ranking. Then, the seven highest-ranked participants were pre-arranged sequentially according to the ranking – the highest-ranked in Group B, the next in C, and so on until Group H. Only after that did the actual draw for the remaining 24 teams begin.
If FIVB applies exactly the same procedure for the 2027 World Championship, Poland, as host, will be placed at the top of Group A. After that, the remaining seven highest-ranked participants will be sequentially arranged in groups B–H. With the current ranking and the absence of Russia, this would mean:
A – Poland
B – Italy
C – USA
D – Japan
E – Brazil
F – France
G – Slovenia
H – Bulgaria
However, this is not yet the official distribution for the 2027 World Championship. FIVB has not published the draw procedure, and until the regulations are released, it cannot be claimed that the 2025 model will be repeated. If it is maintained, Bulgaria will not be drawn into any of groups B–H, but will be placed directly as the top seed of Group H.

A year later - Poland again?

If the scheme from the previous World Championship is repeated, Bulgaria would end up in Group H, and host Poland – in Group A.
Under the scheme used in 2025, groups A and H fall into a common elimination pathway. The winner of A plays against the second-placed team from H, and the winner of H – against the second-placed team from A. The winners of these two round of 16 matches then meet in the quarter-finals. This does not automatically mean a Bulgaria – Poland quarter-final. The two teams could meet as early as the round of 16 if one finishes first and the other second in their group, and if both finish first, a potential clash would be possible in the quarter-finals.
Therefore, the more accurate definition is that if the 2025 system is repeated, Bulgaria would fall into Poland's pathway. Again, because we were already in the same group for EuroVolley 2026 and could have met in the quarter-finals if we had overcome Germany.

First, the FIVB formula must be released

The format of the World Championships in the current cycle provides for 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four, with the top two advancing to the direct eliminations – round of 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final.
This makes the repetition of the 2025 World Championship scheme entirely possible, but not yet certain. That is why the most important document before the draw in "Wieliczka" will be the official FIVB regulations. It must show not only how the four pots will be formed, but also whether the eight top seeds will again be pre-fixed in groups A–H or if, after placing host Poland, there will be a draw for the remaining seven.
One thing, however, is already clear – Bulgaria's position is radically different from two years ago. From No. 19 in the world and third pot before the 2025 World Championship, our national team reached No. 9 and a place among the eight highest-ranked participants for Poland 2027.
And that means that this time Bulgaria will not wait to see which group leader it will draw. Bulgaria itself will be among the leaders.