A packed hall in Kraków during the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship in 2014
Kraków, Poland, March 16, 2016 - Hosted by Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2015, the 2016 edition of the FIVB Volleyball World League Finals will be played at the Tauron Arena in Poland's second largest city Kraków from July 13 to 17. Poland's passionate fans are expected to take centre stage when the climax of the competition takes place in one of the seven cities which played host to the record-breaking FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship Poland 2014.
World League Group 1 scheduleTauron Arena KrakówThe Tauron Arena Kraków is the largest sports venue of its type in Poland and one of the most modern sports facilities in Europe. The hall can house some 15000 fans in its setup for volleyball and many more can view the action outside, on the state-of-the-art giant screen which encompasses a section of the stadium.
The arena has been linked to volleyball from the very start. The Poland v Brazil 2014 World League match was the first sporting event hosted by the the hall. It has also hosted Group D matches in the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014, Poland v USA in last year’s World League Preliminary Round and the 12th Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial tournament in 2014.
Spectators attending the 2016 World League Finals will be welcomed by the historic city of KrakówThis year will be especially generous for volleyball fans in Kraków, as the Arena is also set to host the 2016 CEV Volleyball Champions League – Men Final Four tournament, followed by the 14th Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial. The FIVB World League Finals will then attract the attention of volleyball fans around the world, before eyes turn to the Olympic tournament in Rio de Janeiro.
Group 1World League Group 1 will consist of 12 teams in 2016 as the competition grows to include a record 36 teams this year. The eight teams that took part in Group 1 in 2015 (Australia, Brazil, Iran, Italy, Poland, Russia, Serbia and USA) are joined by 2015 competition winners France (who began the 2015 edition of the World League by winning Group 2) and wild cards Argentina, Belgium and Bulgaria.
In Preliminary Round Group 1, which begins on June 17, teams will play in pools of four teams each over three weekends, before the top five of a combined ranking plus the hosts meet for the Finals from July 13-17. The six teams in the finals will be split into two pools of three and each play two matches. The top two teams in each pool will progress to the semifinals and finals.
The fans in Kraków can expect a fascinating spectacle with former competition winners Brazil (nine titles), Italy (eight), Russia (three), USA (two), world champions Poland (one) and defending champions France (one) all in contention in Group 1 in 2016.
The World League adopts a shortened format in 2016 in the immediate build-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Olympic volleyball tournament will begin just three weeks after the end of the World League Finals. The Summer Games in 2016 take place from August 5 to 21 and the Olympic volleyball tournament will be played at the historic Maracanãzinho Arena, the traditional home of volleyball in Brazil.