First Round Matches Announced For 2018 Men’s World Championships

2018 MEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

• September 10-30, 2018
• Italy & Bulgaria
• Pool By Pool Analysis
• Event Site

The FIVB has announced the first round matches for the 2018 Men’s World Championships that will take place in Italy and Bulgaria from September 9 to 30. There are a total of 24 teams that will participate in the competition, with four pools of six teams.

All teams qualified for the event through different qualifiers throughout the past year, with Italy, Bulgaria and Poland automatically earning spots as hosts and Poland as defending champion.

TEAMS

• Hosts: Italy, Bulgaria
• Defending Champion: Poland
• Europe: France, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Russia, Serbia, Finland, Belgium
• Asia: Japan, Australia, Iran, China
• South America: Argentina, Brazil
• NORCECA: USA, Dominican Republic, Canada, Puerto Rico, Cuba
• Africa: Tunisia, Egypt, Cameroon

The first round matches will take place from September 9 to 18.

First Round Match Schedule

Pool A

• 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

• 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

• 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

• 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.

Second round matches will be determined according to the finish of the host countries. If both Italy and Bulgaria both qualify for the next round they will play their matches in Milan and Sofia, respectively, regardless of their pool finish.