Race for European League semis and EuroVolley tickets heats up

The first teams qualified for the CEV EuroVolley 2028 will emerge later this weekend – when the League Round of the CEV Volleyball European League 2026 ends following completion of another nine men’s and eight women’s tournaments. There has never been that much at stake before – and the excitement will be mounting with each rally, match, and competition day in a tight race for the right to contest the next edition of the continental championship. This follows the full revamp of the CEV European League – which for the first time in history provides an avenue for national teams to secure their progression to the biennial showpiece event. 

The race is especially close since after completion of two rounds, the ‘pack’ of teams still in contention for a top four finish remains very large. As many as 12 teams have won at least three matches in the men’s competition – with the Netherlands leading the way with four wins and no sets lost at all this far. They are the only side with such a perfect record – followed by Estonia, as the Baltic team has conceded only one set thus far. Finland, Denmark, and Israel also all have four wins to their name in as many matches. Denmark will be the first team with an opportunity to make it five wins in a row when they play Albania on Friday. All other unbeaten teams will be taking to the court on Saturday – the Netherlands will play Croatia, Israel take on North Macedonia, Estonia test the likes of a solid Swedish team and Finland will be playing Slovakia. 

Click here for full and detailed standings. 

In the women’s division, ten teams have secured at least three wins this far. Sweden and Slovenia are the only sides with an impeccable record of four 3-0 wins. Slovakia and Hungary have both conceded one set only so far whereas Spain and Greece have a 4-0 win-loss record as well albeit with a less impressive set point ratio. Both Sweden and Slovenia will only return to play on Saturday when they face Austria and Croatia, respectively. The same goes for all other teams with a 4-0 record as they all have already played their respective home rounds. 

Click here for full and detailed standings. 

By Saturday night, when all teams will have played at least five matches each, we will have a clearer understanding as to who remains in contention for the four coveted spots in the semis of the European League but even more importantly as to who will eventually punch their ticket to the CEV EuroVolley 2028 more than two years ahead of the event.