The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) 2027 will feature a total of 19 teams to allow both the Russian women’s and men’s teams to rejoin the competition after a long ban due to the war in Ukraine.
The development was confirmed by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) on Tuesday after consulting with key stakeholders regarding the return of Russian athletes to volleyball competitions.
It also confirmed that it is now reviewing Russia’s possible participation in the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup 2027 after the Russian Volleyball Federation announced that it will skip the men’s competition.
FIVB said that it will continue discussing with its stakeholders regarding the future of Russia in other major tournaments in the following years.
New VNL format
The FIVB Board of Administration froze Russia’s world ranking points for both teams after the Russia-Ukraine war started.
The governing body also banned the country from any tournaments, including the VNL and World Championships, due to the war and repeated doping controversies.
With Russia’s return to the sports scene, the FIVB allowed 19 teams to compete for the VNL 2027 edition only to allow Russia’s comeback in the league without affecting the upcoming participation of Slovenia and Finland.
Slovenia would be taking over Bulgaria’s spot for next year’s Women’s VNL, and Finland would be replacing Canada for the men’s side.
Both Bulgaria and Canada were relegated from the VNL competition after finishing last in their respective categories during the 2026 season.
FIVB said that it is now reviewing the best format for the special 2027 season to accommodate the expansion.
It added that it will co-ordinate with the International Testing Agency to implement a comprehensive anti-doping testing plan for upcoming volleyball tournaments.
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FIVB condemns violence
The FIVB also reiterated its concern regarding the ongoing war and condemned all forms of violence.
The body promised to continue supporting Ukraine’s sports programme despite the recent sports developments with the Russian team.
“We continue to hope for a peaceful resolution as soon as possible and remain committed to supporting the Ukrainian volleyball community through the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme,” it said in a statement.
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Newsjustnews writers 
Wendellyn Mateo 
Maybelene Marcelino