It is now the 28th season of the men’s FIVB World League with a record number of 36 teams split into 3 groups competing.
The first year of the competition began in 1990 with only eight countries competing. The number grew to 10 for the 1991 season and only 12 countries competed from 1992-2000 and 2004-20005. From 2001-2001 the World League grew to 16 teams then again from 2006-2012. In 2013 the number of teams competing grew again with 18 different nations playing, then drastically increasing those numbers the following season to 28 in 2014. 2015 saw another rise to 32, followed by 36 in 2016.
Intense match-ups that were featured in the Rio Olympics will occur once again in the World League, as either a redemption match or revenge.
There will be three weeks of play in Groups 1 & 2 and only two weeks of competition in Group 3.
Group 1
- South America: Argentina, Brazil
- Europe: Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia
- NORCECA: Canada, USA
- Asia: Iran
Group 2
- Asia: Australia, China, Japan, Korea
- Europe: Czech Republic, Finland, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey
- Africa: Egypt
Group 3
- Europe: Austria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Montenegro, Spain
- Asia: Chinese Taipai, Kazakhstan, Qatar
- NORCECA: Mexico
- Africa: Tunisia
- South America: Venezuela
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