After finishing fourth in the 2013 World League, Bulgaria failed to progress beyond the Intercontinental Round in 2014 after just one win from 12 matches condemned them to the bottom of Group 1 Pool B behind USA, Russia and Serbia. They followed that up with a joint-13th place finish at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship where they qualified for the second round before taking just one set in their four matches. In the 2015 World League, Bulgaria dropped to tenth in the final standing.

Historically, Bulgaria have a strong track record and they have been regular participants in the World League since 1994, when they finished fourth. In 2011 they were fifth and they went one place better the next year. Bulgaria competed in the first Olympic tournament at Tokyo 1964, finishing fifth. They took the silver medal at Moscow 1980 and came joint-fifth again at Beijing 2008 and were fourth at London 2012. In their first appearance in the World Championship in 1949 they finished third. They took bronze again in 1952, 1986 and 2006 and silver in 1970. Their most recent participation in the World Cup was in 2007 when they came third. They took fourth at the 2013 European Championship.