Bulgaria is exploring the possibility of hosting the finals of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) in 2029. This was revealed by the president of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, Lyubomir Ganev, who announced that an official inquiry has already been made regarding the conditions under which our country could host the final phase of the prestigious competition.
The news came during the press conference for the signing of a memorandum of cooperation with the Greek volleyball community, where Ganev also confirmed the final signing of the contract for hosting a VNL tournament in Sofia in 2028.
However, the president of the BFV revealed that the federation's ambitions are not limited solely to the preliminary phase matches.
"We have made an inquiry to organize the finals of the Volleyball Nations League in 2029," Ganev announced.
However, the financial parameters of such a hosting are significantly more serious.
According to the president of the federation, the organizational fee for the VNL finals would be between1.5 and 2 million dollars. In comparison, hosting a preliminary phase tournament in 2028 will cost 350,000 dollars, and this amount does not necessarily include all other organizational expenses.
Thus, the fee for the final phase alone could exceed five times that for a regular tournament in the competition.
Ganev explained that the federation has focused its attention on 2029 also due to the specifics of the international calendar. In the Olympic year 2028, the final phase of the VNL will be organized in a different format, combining men's and women's competitions, due to the shortened time until the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
For 2027, according to him, it is already too late to take action for such a hosting.
The president of the BFV also touched upon the constantly increasing financial requirements for organizing major international volleyball competitions.
He pointed out that the application fee for hosting a World Championship now starts from 40 million dollars – an amount that practically makes such an organization impossible for Bulgaria.
This is precisely why the Volleyball Nations League tournaments remain a more realistic opportunity for our country to host the best national teams in the world.
For now, Bulgaria is in the preliminary exploration stage for the 2029 finals.There is no official bid announced with a specific host city, nor a decision to assign the organization.
The very fact that the BFV has already sought information about the conditions shows a desire for our country to take the next step – from hosting preliminary phase tournaments to organizing the final battle for the trophy in the Volleyball Nations League.