Finland and Russia to join expanded Volleyball Nations League

Finland's men's national volleyball team has officially earned promotion to the top-tier Volleyball Nations League (VNL). This achievement, initially secured by winning the European League in July, faced a complication due to Russia's return to international play. Despite not having competed, Russia's pre-existing ranking points positioned them ahead of Finland, potentially displacing the Finnish team from their earned VNL spot.

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has resolved this situation by expanding the VNL. Both the men's and women's leagues will increase from 18 to 19 teams. This expansion allows Finland's men's team and Slovenia's women's team, who earned their places through traditional qualification routes, to participate in the league via special arrangements.

This expansion means that Finland and Russia could face each other in volleyball for the first time in nearly six years. The two nations last met in the European Championship in Tampere in September 2021. The FIVB stated it is currently determining the necessary format changes to accommodate the increased number of teams.

In a separate announcement, the Russian Volleyball Federation informed the FIVB that it will not participate in the 2027 Men's World Championship in Poland. This decision comes after the Polish Volleyball Federation president indicated in early July that Russian players would not be permitted to enter the country under the current circumstances. The FIVB is still assessing Russia's potential participation in the 2027 Women's World Championship in the United States.