A preliminary schedule, published by Polish journalist Jakub Balcerzak, revealed the possible dates for the matches in Group B of the upcoming Men's European Volleyball Championship in 2026. According to this information, Bulgaria will face Poland on September 16 in Sofia, at "Arena 8888".
The day-by-day schedule, cited by the Polish source, looks like this:
| Date | Time | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 10 | 16:00 | Poland – Portugal | Sofia |
| September 12 | 16:00 | Poland – Israel | Sofia |
| September 13 | 19:00 | Poland – North Macedonia | Sofia |
| September 15 | 19:00 | Poland – Ukraine | Sofia |
| September 16 | 19:00 | Poland – Bulgaria | Sofia |
The President of the Bulgarian Volleyball FederationLyubo Ganevalso hinted at a similar arrangement of the matches. In a statement on October 6, he said:
“The World Championship is already in the past. We are thinking ahead. We have a Volleyball Nations League (VNL) to play, where I hope we will also play very well. To achieve good results. For the guys to establish themselves. To show the confidence they gained this year at the World Championship at the European Championship as well.”
Gianlorenzo Blengini will at any moment decide how the matches will be arranged. Perhaps, most likely, we will play the last match in the group with Poland. This is usually how it's done, the strongest team is played last. So I hope for full halls! Support for these guys, as it has been so far, and they will make you happy.”
Today we sought comments from the President of the Federation, and he stated that until the program is published on the CEV website, nothing can be claimed with certainty. Ganev clarified that tickets for the championship will go on sale on November 7, which means that by that date, the match schedule will already be a fact.
We remind you that originally the Group B matches were supposed to be held in Varna, but after a decision by the Board of the BFV, CEV officially moved the hosting to Sofia. "Arena 8888", which has a capacity of 12,500 people, will host all group stage matches, and the capital will provide better logistics, capacity, and television coverage.
Thus, Bulgarian fans will have the opportunity to see the national team up close in decisive matches against Poland, Ukraine, Portugal, Israel, and North Macedonia.
According to sports logic, the host traditionally plays their last match against the group's favorite. If this schedule is confirmed, the clashBulgaria – Polandon September 16 could prove decisive for the standings in the group and will attract exceptional spectator interest.
photo: X and Nikolay Varadinov
