One week to go until CEV Trendyol EuroVolley 2026 Women

The wait is almost over.

Twenty-four teams. Four host countries. 76 matches. One European title.

Türkiye, Czechia, Azerbaijan and Sweden are ready to welcome the continent's finest, with the action stretching from Istanbul to Brno, Baku and Göteborg before the championship reaches its conclusion on 6 September.

But EuroVolley is never simply about the final standings. It is about the stories that emerge along the way.

The opening chapter begins in a city that knows exactly what volleyball means.

Istanbul will host Pool A, featuring hosts Türkiye alongside Germany, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Slovenia. And with the home side opening the championship against Latvia on Friday evening, the tournament will begin with the kind of atmosphere only a home EuroVolley can create.

For Türkiye, playing on home soil brings both opportunity and expectation. The country has become one of the defining forces in European women's volleyball. Once again, the spotlight will be firmly on the hosts as they begin their EuroVolley campaign in front of their supporters.

Istanbul, meanwhile, provides a fitting setting for the start of the journey. A city connecting Europe and Asia, old and new, tradition and modernity, it will provide the backdrop for the first battles of a championship that will eventually span the continent.

EuroVolley 2026 will offer four very different settings for the same passion.

In Brno, Czechia, Pool B will welcome the home team, which will face Austria, Serbia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and Greece.

In Baku, Azerbaijan will stage Pool C, bringing together the hosts, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Romania and Spain.

And in Göteborg, Sweden will host Pool D, with Montenegro, Italy, France, Slovakia and Croatia joining the hosts.

Four pools. Four cities. Four opportunities to experience EuroVolley from a different perspective.

The diversity of the hosts is part of what makes the European Championship so special. From Istanbul's Bosphorus skyline to Brno's historic centre, Baku's modern architecture and Göteborg's Scandinavian character, the tournament will take Volleyball fans on a journey well beyond the court.

But ultimately, every journey comes back to the volleyball.

The pool phase will provide the first test.

For some teams, the objective will be to establish themselves among the leading contenders. For others, it will be about taking the next step, making history, or simply seizing the opportunity that comes with competing on Europe's biggest stage.

And with the knockout phase waiting at the end of the pool stage, every set could prove significant.

Once the competition reaches the Round of 16, the margin for error will disappear. The quarterfinals will follow, before the final four teams standing meet in Istanbul for the decisive weekend.

By then, the tournament will have travelled thousands of kilometres and produced countless individual stories.

A player making her first EuroVolley appearance. A veteran returning for another championship. A young talent announcing herself on the international stage. A captain carrying the hopes of a nation. A team discovering that it can go further than anyone expected.

That is the beauty of EuroVolley.

Every edition arrives with its own questions.

Can the established powers maintain their place at the top? Which teams will emerge as the surprise packages? Which young players will make the leap from promising talent to international star? And who will handle the pressure when the knockout rounds begin?

The answers will come over the next three weeks.

What we already know is that the ingredients are in place for another memorable chapter in the history of the CEV EuroVolley Women.

The teams have prepared. The hosts are ready. The venues are waiting. The fans are counting down.

One week from now, preparation becomes competition.

And by the time the final point is played on 6 September, one team will have earned the right to call itself European champion (and to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games as well).

EuroVolley is almost here.