Although we are waiting for the release of the official calendar, the best 18 men’s volleyball teams already know the path to follow until the final of the Nations League. Volleyball 2026, agreed between July 29 and August 2 in the city of Ningbo, in China.
For the Cuban cast, the new edition will mark the difficult challenge of improving the performance of a year ago, when they returned to the concluding section.
#VNL2026: THE WAIT IS OVER.
This year’s #VNL Men’s pools are officially out. The road to another unforgettable national team season begins!
New matchups. Familiar rivalries. World-class stars ready to light up the court.
Check it out and start planning your VNL… pic.twitter.com/7tOBbUDoVr
— Volleyball World (@volleyballworld) January 28, 2026
In accordance with the group formation announced by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), and reviewed According to the sports portal Jit, those led by Jesús Cruz have scheduled their debut between June 10 and 14 in the Chinese city of Linyi.
There the island team will share the poster with the host team, and those from Japan, Slovenia, Ukraine and Poland, the current champion of the tournament.
Ten days after the close of actions in Asia, the spotlight will be entirely on Europe, and the Cuban volleyball players will have their second competitive week in the French city of Orleans, from June 24 to 28.
This group will have the strong local squad as a reference, and will also be accompanied by representatives from Iran, Japan, Serbia and the United States.
The last opportunity to secure a place in the final will take the Cubans back to Asia, specifically to the Japanese city of Kansai, where the locals will also host the teams from Argentina, Belgium, Canada and Italy.
steep slope
Although the Cuban men’s volleyball squad has undoubtedly experienced a notable leap in quality, the reality is that a tournament at the level of the Nations League is very demanding for all the squads involved.
The fact that the Cuban cast has managed to be included among the finalists of the last version leaves the bar very high for the new incursion, especially if the purpose is to improve the poor image left in the most recent World Championship.
Cuba surprises Poland with an epic victory in the Volleyball Nations League
A year ago the team grew as the league competition progressed, and achieved success over teams of the highest level, such as Brazil and Poland, the current occupant of the first place in the universal ranking.
It remains to be seen, when the time comes, how the composition of the group ends up, according to the availability of players and the state of form of the main figures, on which the expected result depends a lot.
The other unknown to be resolved in this equation will be the decision made by the Cuban federation, taking into account that the final of the tournament will coincide in time with the tournament of the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo 2026, which will presumably force the formation of two teams.
