Portugal ready to cause upsets at EuroVolley Men

The men’s national team of Portugal moved on Monday from Santo Tirso to Viana do Castelo, where they continue to fine-tune the final details ahead of their participation in CEV Enel EuroVolley 2026 Men.

Led by head coach João José, the national team is preparing for a true trial by fire in Sofia, Bulgaria, where they will compete in a demanding Pool B. Their debut is scheduled for September 10 at 14:00 in a high-stakes ‘survival  mode’ clash against Poland – the reigning European champions, three-time world champions (1974, 2014, and 2018), and current FIVB world ranking leaders. The very next day, on September 11 at 17:00, Portugal faces host nation Bulgaria, World Championship runners-up.  The group stage wraps up with matches against Israel (September 13, 14:00), Ukraine (September 14, 14:00), and North Macedonia (September 15, 14:00). Should they seal qualification for the Round of 16, Portugal will cross paths with a team from Pool D, which comprises Romania, Latvia, France, Germany, Türkiye, and Switzerland.

To gauge the squad’s physical and tactical condition, Portugal played two friendly matches against Australia at the Pavilhão Municipal das Lameiras in Famalicão. In the first test, the Portuguese squad secured an emphatic 4-0 win (25-14, 25-22, 25-19, and 25-21) in a training  match format set for a minimum of four sets. Team captain Alexandre Ferreira and André Pereira stood out as top scorers with 13 points each. In the second, much more balanced contest, Portugal came out on top once again with a 3-2 victory (26-24, 23-25, 28-26, 17-25, 15-12). André Pereira led the match scoring with 24 points.

Pleased with his players’ response, head coach João José – a key figure in national Volleyball, named Best Blocker at the 2002 World Championship in Argentina and the first Portuguese player to win the CEV Champions League (in 2006/2007 with VfB Friedrichshafen) – emphasised the importance of these international tests. “The matches against Australia were crucial for assessing the team’s current form in a match environment against international opposition and for translating what we have worked on during preparation into real competition. Overall, the squad has progressed well. Side-out numbers were strong, collective organisation is taking shape, and we showed the ability to sustain high-play tempo and intensity. It also highlighted the need to improve our capacity to maintain high intensity over longer periods - a demand that will be even greater at EuroVolley, given the need to recover and compete at a high level across five matches in just six days,” analysed the coach. 

Fully aware of the Pool B difficulty, João José set clear targets and called for grit from his players:  “It is a tough group, featuring VNL champions Poland and recent World Championship finalists Bulgaria. The main goal is to advance to the next stage and be as competitive as possible. I expect the players to show courage and demonstrate that they are here to fight in every match.” Regarding the balance between veterans and debutants, the head coach was direct: “You build that with time and reps. They have to spend a lot of time together, overcome adversity, and build mutual trust.”

Making waves in Romanian Volleyball, where he regularly features in the team of the week, middle blocker Filip Cveticanin addresses the opening match without hesitation: “There is no pressure on our side. Given Poland’s level, it will be a tough match, but I do not think an upset is impossible. A successful European Championship would mean matching what we did over the last two years – reaching the Round of 16 and, if possible, pushing further into the quarterfinals. The atmosphere in the squad is excellent; the group is relaxed but fully focused,” he assured.

Running the offense as setter will be Bruno Dias, a young player making his debut at this level: