FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship 2022: Preview, schedule, how to watch

It's time for the best men's volleyball players to show the world what they've got once more.

Barely a year after the Olympic Games competition concluded, 24 of the top teams on the planet are back to challenge for the title at the 20th FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland Slovenia 2022, which takes place from 26 August–11 September.

Originally due to be held in Russia, the event was switched to Poland and Slovenia who stepped in to host after war in Ukraine broke out. It is the second time Poland has hosted the competition after 2014; Slovenia has never before welcomed the Worlds.

Co-hosts Poland are the two-time defending champions, having won in Katowice in 2014 and Turin, Italy, in 2018. They are, unsurprisingly, one of the favourites to clinch victory once more.

Find out all you need to know about the competition below.

2022 men's volleyball world championship: Group draw, venues and teams to watch

Three host cities in the two countries will welcome the 24 teams, split across six groups.

The Arena Stozice in Ljubljana will host four groups – Pools B, D, E, and F – with its 12,500 capacity, as well as four last-16 and two quarter-final matches.

Meanwhile, the 11,000-capacity Spodek indoor arena, named for its flying-saucer shape, welcomes the eight teams in Pools A and C to Katowice. Spodek was also the host arena for the 2014 World Championships, the last time Poland hosted the event. It will also host both semi-finals and medal matches during this tournament.

One of the largest indoor arenas in Poland, the Gliwice Arena will host the other four last-16 and two quarter-final matches.

The top two teams from each pool after the single-round-robin stage, as well as the best four third-placed teams, progress to the single-elimination direct knockout Final Stage. The remaining eight teams are eliminated.

This replaces the old format, which in 2018 saw three separate round-robin group stages before a semi-final and final, making it easier for fans to follow the action.

Pool A (playing in Katowice)

• Puerto Rico
• Serbia
• Tunisia
• Ukraine

Pool B (playing in Ljubljana)

• Brazil
• Cuba
• Japan
• Qatar

Pool C (playing in Katowice)

• Poland (co-hosts)
• Bulgaria
• Mexico
• United States

Pool D (playing in Ljubljana)

• Slovenia (co-hosts)
• Cameroon
• Germany
• France

Pool E (playing in Ljubljana)

• Canada
• China
• Italy
• Turkey

Pool F (playing in Ljubljana)

• Argentina
• Egypt
• Iran
• Netherlands

With co-hosts Poland the two-time defending champions, on paper they are favourites to win a third straight (and fourth overall) world title on home soil. However, they will have to do so without their talismanic powerhouse Wilfredo León. The Cuban-born outside hitter has been ruled out as he has not fully recovered from knee surgery in June. That said, they enter the tournament off the back of a morale-boosting showing at the Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial tournament last week, where they won all three of their matches. They are in Group C and will be expected to easily make it out of the group.

The United States are also in Group C and come into the tournament as the 2018 bronze medallists. However, the Americans' fortunes have varied wildly in recent years and they finished a disappointing 10th at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

France, playing in Group D alongside co-hosts Slovenia, are the surprise reigning Olympic champions. They have reached the semi-finals of the World Championships twice, finishing third in 2002 and fourth the last time the tournament was held in Katowice in 2014. Will they be able to carry that form through to this year?

Italy, Brazil, and Serbia are perennial heavyweights in the sport and will likely make deep runs in the competition. The Brazilians have played in the last five World Championship finals dating back to 2002 and it would be a surprise if they did not make it as far again.

FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland Slovenia 2022: Full schedule

All times Central European Summer Time / CEST (UTC/GMT +2 hours)

Friday 26 August

• 11:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Brazil v Cuba
• 14:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Japan v Qatar
• 17:30 – Pool C, Katowice: USA v Mexico
• 17:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: France v Germany
• 20:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: Slovenia v Cameroon
• 20:30 – Pool C, Katowice: Poland v Bulgaria

Saturday 27 August

• 11:00 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Turkey v China
• 14:00 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Netherlands v Egypt
• 17:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Tunisia v Puerto Rico
• 17:30 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Argentina v Iran
• 20:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Ukraine v Serbia
• 21:15 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Italy v Canada

Sunday 28 August

• 11:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Cuba v Qatar
• 14:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Brazil v Japan
• 17:30 – Pool C, Katowice: USA v Bulgaria
• 17:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: Germany v Cameroon
• 20:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: France v Slovenia
• 20:30 – Pool C, Katowice: Poland v Mexico

Monday 29 August

• 11:00 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Canada v China
• 14:00 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Argentina v Netherlands
• 17:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Serbia v Puerto Rico
• 17:30 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Iran v Egypt
• 20:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Ukraine v Tunisia
• 21:15 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Italy v Turkey

Tuesday 30 August

• 11:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Brazil v Qatar
• 14:00 – Pool B, Ljubljana: Japan v Cuba
• 17:30 – Pool C, Katowice: Mexico v Bulgaria
• 17:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: France v Cameroon
• 20:30 – Pool D, Ljubljana: Slovenia v Germany
• 20:30 – Pool C, Katowice: Poland v USA

Wednesday 31 August

• 11:00 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Argentina v Egypt
• 14:00 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Canada v Turkey
• 17:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Serbia v Tunisia
• 17:30 – Pool F, Ljubljana: Iran v Netherlands
• 20:30 – Pool A, Katowice: Ukraine v Puerto Rico
• 21:15 – Pool E, Ljubljana: Italy v China

Saturday 3 September and Monday 5 September

• 18:00 – Round of 16, Ljubljana
• 21:00 – Round of 16, Ljubljana

Sunday 4 September and Tuesday 6 September

• 17:30 – Round of 16, Gilwice
• 21:00 – Round of 16, Gilwice

Wednesday 7 September

• 18:00 – Quarter-finals, Ljubljana
• 21:00 – Quarter-finals, Ljubljana

Thursday 8 September

• 17:30 – Quarter-finals, Gilwice
• 21:00 – Quarter-finals, Gilwice

Saturday 10 September

• 18:00 – Semi-finals, Katowice
• 21:00 – Semi-finals, Katowice

Sunday 11 September

• 18:00 – Bronze-medal final, Katowice
• 21:00 – Gold-medal final, Katowice

How to watch the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship 2022

Matches from the 2022 World Championships in Poland and Slovenia will be shown exclusively on the FIVB's own Volleyball TV subscription streaming service.

Every pool stage and knockout match will be offered live and on demand on this service.