Espinho, Portugal to welcome Beach Volley Nations Cup Final in mid-July!

The CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup 2025 Final will be taking place in Espinho, Portugal, with the event featuring eight countries in each gender due to run from July 17 to 20 in the seaside resort that is universally synonymous with the delivery of major international events in a variety of sports, a vibrant party atmosphere and with Beach Volleyball at its finest! 

The 2025 edition of the CEV Beach Volley Nations Cup will be reaching its climax this coming July in Portugal, where seven teams emerging from the qualification phase plus the home sides will be taking to the court to vie for this prestigious title. The event was introduced for the first time in 2022 to expand competition opportunities for Beach Volleyball athletes and to capitalise on the success of the former CEV Continental Cup and its exciting ‘country vs country’ format. 

Back in 2022, the final was held in Vienna, Austria, with Norway and Switzerland claiming the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. Last year, the Nations Cup Final was held in Jurmala and counted as an Olympic qualifying event. Teams from France and Czechia did eventually secure their right to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games via this route. 

As we are at the early stages of a new Olympic cycle, the Nations Cup returns to its original ‘status’ and will provide the top athletes in Europe with an exclusive opportunity to play for their home countries on the international stage in a format where the strength of the collective makes the difference. The competition in mid-July is the very first major CEV Beach Volleyball event to take place in Portugal since the inaugural women’s European Championship was also contested in Espinho back in 1994. 

“It is with great satisfaction that Espinho welcomes, from July 17-20, the Beach Volleyball Nations Cup Final. Espinho’s history and tradition in organising major international competitions are a source of pride for our municipality and a reference at national and European level. Over the past decades, the name of Espinho has become inseparable from Volleyball, particularly Beach Volleyball, and this event reinforces our status as a destination of excellence for the sport,” says Maria Manuel Cruz, President of the Espinho City Council.

“Hosting this final not only confirms the confidence that international entities place in our organisational capacity but also allows us to continue to project Espinho as a sports municipality, where sports practice is encouraged at all ages and where major events serve as inspiration for new generations of athletes.

“We are prepared to welcome top athletes and teams, providing them with a vibrant and enthusiastic environment, worthy of the great Beach Volleyball celebration that will take place here. I thank the European Volleyball Confederation and the Portuguese Volleyball Federation for the trust placed in Espinho to host this prestigious event. I invite all Espinho residents and visitors to join us and witness another memorable page in the history of Volleyball in Espinho. May this competition inspire more young people to practice sports and contribute to reinforcing Espinho’s status as an unavoidable reference in the national and international sports scene!” 

Portugal will seize this unique opportunity to make sure their players gain valuable international experience. Beach Volleyball is growing rapidly in the country and last year João Nuno Pedrosa and Hugo Campos became the first team from Portugal to compete at EuroBeachVolley in 20 years. 

“I would like to start by thanking the CEV for the trust it has placed, once again, in the Portuguese Volleyball Federation to organise an event of this magnitude and express our gratitude to the Espinho City Council for continuing to be our partner in holding important events on the international calendar. It is worth remembering that we, the Federation, in collaboration with the Espinho City Council, have organised world Beach Volleyball events on Praia da Baía since the mid-90s [1995],” says Vicente Araújo, President of the Portuguese Volleyball Federation. 

“Praia da Baía acts as a talisman for our national teams, which have always been greatly cherished in the city of Costa Verde, and we believe that the competition format, which involves teams of both genders from different nations, will also contribute to even greater support, especially in Espinho, where the public breathes Beach Volleyball and is a deep connoisseur of the sport. In sporting terms, we hope that the competition will boost our teams on the Olympic path and that the athletes and other participants in the Nations Cup Final will be able to feel the passion with which the Portuguese people live Volleyball and Beach Volleyball.

“In addition to this, this event is important for the promotion of the sport and to motivate more young people to practice Volleyball and Beach Volleyball worldwide and nationally, while promoting the name of Portugal and the city. Espinho is known worldwide by athletes who play on the Beach Pro Tour and international competitions, as everyone likes to compete here in their favourite sport.”