The last unknown regarding the list of qualifiers for the 2027 Women's World Championship has been resolved. Volleyball World officially placed Russia among the 32 teams that earned the right to participate in the World Cup, which will be held from August 20 to September 5 in the USA and Canada. This realized one of the two options thatVolleyweek.bgconsidered as early as September 29. Russia is among those who qualified by world ranking, Switzerland receives the last of the 14 quotas by this criterion, and Romania remains below the line.
It is important, however, to distinguish between Russia's qualification and its actual participation in the territory of the USA and Canada.
In its publication today, Volleyball World announces that the qualification period has ended and lists all 32 teams. Among the 14 national teams that received a spot by world ranking as of October 2 are the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Czech Republic, Belgium, France, Slovenia, Sweden, Mexico, Ukraine, Greece, Republic of Korea, Bulgaria, and Switzerland. Nowhere in the announcement, however, is it stated that the USA and Canada have given a separate guarantee for the admission of the Russian national team to their territory or that potential visa issues have already been definitively resolved. This was the big unknown whenVolleyweek.bgreviewed the situation on September 29. Russia's sporting right to receive a quota was not in question. Upon the return of the Russian national team, FIVB preserved its points in the world ranking, and the Russian women are sufficiently high in it to be among the 14 teams with quotas by rating.
The question mark was related to the hosts of the World Cup. Because of this, we considered two possible scenarios for the final determination of participants – with Russia and without Russia.
Today's announcement by Volleyball World now provides an answer regarding the qualification procedure – Russia is listed among the 32 qualified teams.
The Russian Federation itself also announced the participation of its national team, but its president Stanislav Shevchenko did not give guarantees regarding visas. He told Russian media that he did not have more information on the matter and could only assume that there would be no problems, as it is a World Championship.
Therefore, at this moment, the most accurate distinction is as follows – Russia is now officially among those qualified for the 2027 World Cup, but from the published information, it cannot be concluded that all administrative issues regarding the team's entry into the USA and Canada have been definitively settled.
For Bulgaria, the outcome changes nothing. Our national team was above the line in both scenarios. The Bulgarian women receive one of the 14 quotas by world ranking, and the last spot goes to Switzerland, which will make its debut at a World Championship. Romania definitively remains off the list of qualifiers.
The World Cup will be held from August 20 to September 5, 2027. Matches will be distributed between Anaheim, Omaha, and Orlando in the USA, and Montreal and Quebec in Canada. The group stage will be played in Montreal, Omaha, Orlando, and Quebec, and the final part will be in the "Honda Center" in Anaheim. The draw for the eight groups of four teams is to be held by the end of 2026.