2018 Men’s World Championship First Round Schedule Announced

Lausanne, Switzerland, January 8, 2018 – The match schedule for the first round of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Italy-Bulgaria 2018 was confirmed today.

As previously announced, the 24 teams participating in the competition will play in Italy (Pools A and C) and Bulgaria (Pools B and D). The opening match in Pool A will take place at the Foro Italico in Rome on September 9, with the remaining matches in the pool to be played at the Nelson Mandela Forum in Florence from September 12-18. The opening match in Pool D to be played at the Palace of Culture and Sport in Varna will also take place on September 9. Pool B will be played at the Bulstrad Arena in Ruse and Pool C at the Palaflorio in Bari.

Pool A (Florence, opening match in Rome)
September 9: 19.30 Italy-Japan
September 12: 17.00 Dominican Republic-Slovenia; 20.30 Belgium-Argentina.
September 13: 17.00 Dominican Republic-Japan; 20.30 Italy-Belgium. Argentina and Slovenia do not play.
September 14: 17.00 Argentina-Dominican Republic; 20.30 Japan-Slovenia. Italy and Belgium do not play.
September 15: 17.00 Belgium-Slovenia; 20.30 Italy-Argentina. Japan and Dominican Republic do not play.
September 16: 17.00 Japan-Belgium; 20.30 Dominican Republic-Italy. Argentina and Slovenia do not play.
September 17: 17.00 Belgium-Dominican Republic; 20.30 Argentina-Slovenia. Japan and Italy do not play.
September 18: 17.00 Japan-Argentina; 20.30 Italy-Slovenia. Belgium and Dominican Republic do not play.

Pool B (Ruse)
September 12: 14.00 Netherlands-Canada; 17.00 Brazil-Egypt; 20.30 France-China.
September 13: 17.00 Egypt-Canada; 20.30 Brazil-France. Netherlands and China do not play.
September 14: 17.00 China-Netherlands; 20.30 France-Egypt. Brazil and Canada do not play.
September 15: 17.00 Canada-China; 20.30 Netherlands-Brazil. France and Egypt do not play.
September 16: 17.00 China-Egypt; 20.30 Netherlands-France. Brazil and Canada do not play.
September 17: 17.00 Egypt-Netherlands; 20.30 Brazil-Canada. China and France do not play.
September 18: 17.00 Canada-France; 20.30 China-Brazil. Egypt and Netherlands do not play.

Pool C (Bari)
September 12: 14.00 Cameroon-Tunisia; 17.00 Australia-Russia; 20.30 USA-Serbia.
September 13: 17.00 Australia-USA; 20.30 Cameroon-Serbia. Russia and Tunisia do not play.
September 14: 17.00 Australia-Cameroon; 20.30 Russia-Tunisia. USA and Serbia do not play.
September 15: 17.00 Serbia-Tunisia; 20.30 USA-Russia. Australia and Cameroon do not play.
September 16: 17.00 Cameroon-USA; 20.30 Serbia-Australia. Russia and Tunisia do not play.
September 17: 17.00 Russia-Cameroon; 20.30 Australia-Tunisia. USA and Serbia do not play.
September 18: 17.00 USA-Tunisia; 20.30 Serbia-Russia. Australia and Cameroon do not play.

Pool D (Varna)
September 9: 19.30 Bulgaria-Finland.
September 12: 17.00 Iran-Puerto Rico; 20.30 Cuba-Poland.
September 13: 17.00 Puerto Rico-Poland; 20.30 Iran-Bulgaria. Cuba and Finland do not play.
September 14: 17.00 Finland-Cuba; 20.30 Bulgaria-Puerto Rico. Poland and Iran do not play.
September 15: 17.00 Cuba-Iran; 20.30 Poland-Finland. Bulgaria and Puerto Rico do not play.
September 16: 17.00 Puerto Rico-Finland; 20.30 Cuba-Bulgaria. Iran and Poland do not play.
September 17: 17.00 Cuba-Puerto Rico; 20.30 Iran-Poland. Bulgaria and Finland do not play.
September 18: 17.00 Finland-Iran; 20.30 Bulgaria-Poland. Cuba and Puerto Rico do not play.

The 2018 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship will take place from September 9 to 30. The first round of the competition will be followed by second (September 21-23) and third pool round matches (September 26-28), semifinals (September 29) and finals (September 30). The third round, semifinals and finals will be played in Turin, Italy.

Second round
If co-hosts Italy and Bulgaria qualify for the second round, they will play in Milan and Sofia respectively regardless of whether they finish first, second or third in their first round pools. The host cities will be adjusted accordingly.