The draw for the U17 Men's Volleyball World Championship in Doha will take place on March 18 in Lausanne (Switzerland) and will be broadcast live. At that time, the distribution of the 24 teams into the six groups of the championship will become clear. This was announced by FIVB.
The tournament will be held under the new competition format, recently confirmed by the FIVB Administrative Board, marking its earlier implementation before its official introduction in all youth events from 2027 and representing an important step in preparation for the Men's World Championship in 2029.
What does the new format entail?
24 teams, distributed into 6 groups of 4 teams.
In the group stage, a round-robin format will be played.
The top two teams from each group plus the four best third-placed teams advance to the Round of 16.
From the Round of 16 onwards, direct eliminations will be played until the champion is determined, while the eliminated teams will play classification playoffs, which will determine the final ranking from 1st to 24th place.
A total of 52 matches will be played during the championship.
The Round of 16 is scheduled for August 25, the quarterfinals for August 27, the semifinals for August 28, and the gold and bronze medal matches will take place on August 29.
Expanded Edition
The tournament expands from 16 to 24 teams. Eleven of the participants from the first edition in 2024 in Sofia are returning – Italy, Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Cuba, Egypt, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain, Tunisia, and Chinese Taipei. Bulgaria will participate after the withdrawal of the teams from Belgium and Chile. The remaining 13 teams will debut at this level.
Italy defends the title.
Italy arrives in Doha as the reigning world champion from the first edition. Argentina, silver medalist from Sofia 2024, will also be among the participants again.
Host Qatar receives an automatic quota, and the continental distribution completes the full lineup from the five confederations.
The draw on March 18 will provide a clear picture of the group stage and the path to the knockout rounds of the World Championship in Doha.
Photo: Nikolay Varadinov
