VOLLEYBALL: AN INTRODUCTION   VOLLEYBALL    BEACH VOLLEYBALL    WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS   

OLYMPIC VOLLEYBALL    OLYMPIC BEACH VOLLEYBALL

World Championships

The FIVB Men's and Women's World Championships are the biggest and the best a truly global competition every four years. An astonishing 215 men's and women's national teams registered to take part in the 2010 event. The first FIVB Men's World Championship, held on a repurposed outdoor tennis court in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1949 was for all practical purposes a European Championship, with all 10 teams from Europe. From these humble beginnings started one of the great competitions and traditions in international sport.

FIVB MEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS

Czechoslovakia 1949
Final city: Prague
Date: September 10‑18
Gold: USSR
The first FIVB World Championship in history included teams only from Europe, with six teams from the east and four from the west (among the latter, sixth‑placed France did the best). Czechoslovakia failed to repeat its success of the year before at the Continental Championship in Rome and were foiled in the decisive match by the Soviets on their first international outing. The USSR campaign was all‑conquering: in the elimination round they powered past Belgium, Romania and Hungary, and the in the final round they shut out Poland, Bulgaria and France in straight sets. They gave up two sets throughout one each to Romania and Czechoslovakia. 

USSR 1952
Final city: Moscow
Date: August 17‑29
Gold: USSR
India and Lebanon provided an international touch for a World Championship that otherwise retained its European flavour. On the courts of the Dynamo club, thronged by approximately 25,000 spectators each day, USSR won more effortlessly than expected. The hosts played eight matches in the August finals and managed not to lose a single set.

France 1956
Final city: Paris
Date: August 30 to September 12
Gold: Czechoslovakia

This time the formula was revised, with the elimination phase divided into two‑ or three‑team rounds. Hosts France were the only Western Europe representative to qualify for the 10‑team finals, won by Czechoslovakia with no defeats. USSR finished third, having to swallow their first two World Championship defeats at the hands of the Czechs and silver‑medallists Romania.

Brazil 1960
Final city: Rio de Janeiro
Date October 28 to November 14
Gold: USSR
Seven teams from the Americas, six from Europe and one from Asia (India, Mexico and Dominican Republic withdrew at the last minute) participated in the first World Championship played on non­-European soil. Once again USSR claimed gold, sweeping the final round. Third was Romania, while Poland earned their third fourth place in four editions. For the home team, there was the satisfaction of the fifth place. Newcomers Japan placed eighth in the finals. 

USSR 1962
Final city: Moscow
Date. October 13‑26
Gold: USSR
A total of 15 five‑set matches in a total of 40 matches in the October 13‑26 final round gives an idea of the great balance between teams that characterized the second Soviet edition of the Men's World Championship. As had happened in 1952, USSR and Czechoslovakia again took the first two places, with Romania grabbing third from Bulgaria, meaning the same 1‑2‑3 rankings as in Rio in 1960.

Czechoslovakia 1966
Final city: Prague
Date: August 30 to September 11
Gold: Czechoslovakia
Once again it was Czechoslovakia who kept the Soviets from making it a third consecutive victory. Even after losing 3‑2 against the Japanese (who also beat USSR and set a record of six five‑set matches out of seven played in the final round) the Czechs managed to finish top of the tree with Romania second and USSR third. Notable was the fact that only six out 28 matches in the decisive round ended 3‑0.

Bulgaria 1970
Final city: Sofia
Date: September 20 to October 2
Gold: East Germany
This FIVB World Championship was loaded with surprises: for the first time, USSR (sixth and Czechoslovakia (fourth) were excluded from the medals, Japan was the first non‑European team to reach the podium (third) and Bulgaria led the standings right up to the second‑to‑last day before giving way to East Germany in a dramatic match lasting over two and a half hours during which the Germans miraculously came back from 13‑5 behind in the fifth set to win 15‑13.

Mexico 1974
Final city: Mexico City
Date: October 12‑28
Gold: Poland
Poland took home their first world title after three stunning five‑set victories over East Germany, Czechoslovakia and USSR plus a tight 3‑1 victory over Japan. For the Soviets, incredibly enough, it was their third straight disappointment. Japan claimed another bronze medal and for the first time Cuba could be counted among the best with an eighth‑placed finish in the October 12‑28 final round.

Italy 1978
Final city: Rome
Date: September 20 to October 1
Gold: USSR
The USSR claimed their first World Championship gold in 16 years while Poland plummeted to eighth and Japan 11th in the September 9 to October 1 final round. Cuba and South Korea (third and fourth) played starring roles but the biggest surprise in this finely organised and promoted tournament was the emergence of Italy who, cheered on by 18,000 fans at Rome's PalaCur, gave a masterclass in their 3‑1 semi‑final victory over Cuba to finish in second place. It was a fantastic achievement by Head Coach Carmelo Pittera's men and secured a place for Volleyball in the heart of the Italian public.

Argentina 1982
Final city: Buenos Aires
Date: October 2‑15
Gold: USSR
The USSR success story continued as they claimed their sixth world title in the October 2‑15 final round. The Soviets were superb and an ambitious Brazilian side, who finished with silver, were humbled when the Europeans allowed them only 12 points to the Soviets' 45. Hosts Argentina surprised everybody with the bronze medal but Italy, revelations in Rome, tumbled from second to 14th.

France 1986
Final city: Paris
Date: September 24 to October 5
Gold: USA
USA claimed their first World Championship gold with victory over USSR in the final, having lost to the Soviets four days earlier in a second‑phase match. The world title left the confines of Eastern Europe for the first time with the Americans, led by legend Karch Kiraly, rewarded for their combative and determined style. Bulgaria stood out as they claimed bronze but France disappointed with a sixth‑placed finish having invested a lot of time in preparations for the final round.

Brazil 1990
Final city: Rio de Janeiro
Date: October 18‑28
Gold: Italy
Head Coach Julio Velasco's Italy, reigning European champions and runners‑up at the 1989 FIVB World Cup, won the gold medal despite a slow start. Andrea Luchetta and his team‑mates lost 3‑0 to Cuba in the first phase of the October 18‑28 event but then let loose by eliminating, one‑by‑one, Czechoslovakia, Argentina and Brazil in the semi‑finals on a 15‑13 tie‑break before exacting revenge on Cuba in the final. USSR had to be content with bronze.

Greece 1994
Final city: Athens
Date: September 29 to October 8
Gold: Italy
Italy made up for the disappointment of the Barcelona Olympics in 1992 where they went out in the quarter‑finals by retaining their world title at the Athens extravaganza. The team led by Lorenzo Bernardi gathered momentum as the final round progressed, advancing from the elimination round despite a loss to Japan, easily beating the host Greeks and notching successive 3‑1 victories over Russia, Cuba and then the Netherlands in the final. Joop Alberda's Dutch team had beaten USA in the semi‑finals, with the Americans settling for the bronze medal. Russia finished seventh, their worst World Championship performance up to 1994.

Japan 1998
Final city: Tokyo
Date: November 13‑29
Gold: Italy
The first Men's World Championship in Japan saw Italy complete their hat trick of titles led by Head Coach Bebeto de Freitas. The Italians beat Yugoslavia in straight sets in the final, while Cuba claimed bronze with a four‑set win over Brazil. Spain may have finished eighth but the star of the tournament was Rafael Pascual, who claimed the Most Valuable Player and Best Scorer awards. It may have been a Tokyo final but this was a truly country‑wide final round with matches played in Fukuoka, Kobe, Sendai, Sapporo, Kawasaki, Uozu, Hiroshima, Osaka, Chiba and Hamamatsu.

Argentina 2002
Final city: Buenos Aires
Date. September 28 to October 13
Gold: Brazil
Finally it was Brazil's turn to claim gold and in the backyard of their South American rivals Argentina, too. The final against Russia went to the wire with the Brazilians, winning 15‑13 on the tie‑break. France, meanwhile, claimed bronze with a straight‑sets win over Yugoslavia. Marcos Milinkovic gave the home fans something to cheer about as he was named Most Valuable Player and Best Scorer in the competition. The final round ran from September 28 to October 13.

Japan 2006
Final city: Tokyo
Date: November 17 to December 3
Gold: Brazil
The 2002 world champions Brazil defended their crown with an awesome display of power and precision and brushed aside Poland in the Tokyo final. The Brazilians won 25‑12, 25‑22, 25‑17 and had their fans dancing in the aisles of Yoyogi National Stadium's No. 1 Gymnasium long before the victory was complete. The eighth‑ranked Poles had dazzled throughout the November 17 to December 3 finals, but found World No. 1 Brazil too strong in all departments. Brazil's talisman Giba won the Most Valuable Player award. The Matey Kaziyski‑led Bulgarians claimed bronze.

Italy 2010
Final city: Rome
Date: September 23 to October 10
Gold: ?
The 2010 FIVB Men's World Championship finals are in Italy from September 23 to October 10. The 10 host cities for the Men's 2010 World Championship finals in Italy are set to be Ancona, Reggio Calabria, Catania, Florence, Rome, Milan, Turin, Verona, Modena, Trieste. A total of 114 registered teams are taking part.

Poland 2014
The FIVB has agreed that the 2014 FIVB Men's World Championship will be held in Poland.

FIVB WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS FINALS

USSR 1952
Final city: Moscow
Date: August 1‑29
Gold: USSR
The Soviet women, who for three consecutive years had won the European Championships, had no difficulty dominating this first Women's World Championship, which boiled down to a European contest aside from the Indian team. Poland claimed the silver medal and Czechoslovakia bronze at the finals.

France 1956
Final city: Paris
Date: August 30 to September 12
Gold: USSR
It was sweet revenge for the Soviets who crushed 1955 European champion Czechoslovakia and went on to overturn a two‑set deficit against Romania to claim gold. The Romanians had to settle for the silver and Poland bronze, the Polish edging Czechoslovakia thanks to a better set quotient. Countries from outside of Europe competing in the August 30 to September 12 finals were China, North Korea and USA.

Brazil 1960
Final city: Rio de Janeiro
Date: October 28 to November 15
Gold: USSR
This time the European teams were in a minority for the first time with only four teams from Europe in the 10‑strong field. USSR's third straight world title was again earned without defeat, although Poland came close to beating them by leading 1‑0 and 2‑1. Japan took the silver medal and Czechoslovakia returned to the podium with a bronze.

USSR 1962
Final city: Moscow
Date: October 13‑26
Gold: Japan
Japan brought USSR to their knees in their home city with an exhibition of agility and speed that surprised the Soviets, who were still accustomed to old schemes. Poland claimed the bronze, beating the best of the rest of Eastern Europe, but it was Japan Head Coach Hirofumi Daimatsu's charges who lit up the October 13‑26 finals with a futuristic brand of Volleyball.

Japan 1967
Final city: Tokyo
Date: January 27‑29
Gold: Japan
With Lima withdrawing as organiser in 1966, Japan picked up the pieces a year later. Unfortunately, the communist bloc teams en masse forfeited, reducing the finals to a four‑way event won by the hosts with little difficulty. Silver went to USA and bronze to debutantes South Korea, while the Peruvians were the other finisher.

Bulgaria 1970
Final city: Varna
Date: September 22 to October 2
Gold: USSR
USSR racked up a number of 3‑0 victories on the way to gold but spoiled their chance of a clean sweep by giving up a set to great rivals Japan, who placed second in the September 22 to October 2 finals. North Korea matched their Southern counterparts' achievements of four years before by claiming bronze, thanks to a five‑set win over Hungary, who finished fourth with an inferior set quotient. The fourth‑ to 10th‑placed finishers were all East European apart from Cuba in eighth.

Mexico 1974
Final city: Guadalajara
Date: October 12‑28
Gold: Japan
Japan and USSR were still too strong for the rest. The finals brought to the fore a brand new Japanese line‑up that rekindled the success story of the 1960s that had been interrupted by the Soviets' world title in 1970 and Olympic triumph in 1972. Japan easily beat USSR 3‑0 to sort out the first two places and for the third straight time the bronze stayed in Korea but changed hands from North Korea (who withdrew from the finals) to South Korea. Teams from the Americas (Cuba, Peru, Mexico, Canada, USA) improved and all played in the round for seventh to 12th place.

USSR 1978
Final city: Leningrad
Date: August 25 to September 7
Gold: Cuba
The Americas came on strong as Cuba earned the gold, while USA placed fifth and Brazil seventh. It was bad news for Europe, though. USSR may have claimed bronze but the highest European team after them was East Germany in eighth. The Asian teams held up well with Japan finishing second and an emerging China placing sixth.

Peru 1982
Final city: Lima
Date: September 12‑25
Gold: China
In the space of just four years, the world rankings had been turned completely around. In Lima, the top three places went to China (defeated at the start by United States but then terrific against all‑comers), Peru and USA all three teams big revelations in this surprise‑filled tournament. Much of the 1980s was to belong to the Chinese and the great Ping Lang, probably Volleyball's first superstar.

Czech Republic 1986
Final city: Prague
Date: September 2‑13
Gold: China
Even without Ping Lang, on the bench assisting Head Coach Shang Rongfang, China did not have too much trouble repeating their Lima triumph. In the final, they beat a young Cuban team, who paid the price for the below‑par condition of star Mireya Luis, who had given birth just a month before the start of the tournament. Peru were third.

Brazil 1990
Final city: Rio de Janeiro
Date: August 22 to September 1
Gold: USSR
Twenty years on from their last world gold, USSR returned to the top of the podium. Led by Most Valuable Player Irina Parkhorritchuk, the Soviets allowed themselves only one moment of distraction (a 3‑0 loss in the match against China) before racing towards their final triumph, beating China in four sets. USA took the bronze ahead of the highly rated Cuba. The rest of the 1990s, though would belong to Cuba, who inspired by the likes of Regla Torres and Mireya Luis, would win three Olympic gold medals and the last two World Championship titles.

Brazil 1994
Final city: Sao Paulo
Date: October 21‑30
Gold: Cuba
Six perfect matches, all won in three sets, earned Cuba the title of world champions for the second time. With Mireya Luis, Regia Torres, Regia Bell, Magaly Carvajal, Marienys Costa and Lilian Izquierdo regularly on court, Head Coach Eugenio George brought to Brazil perhaps the strongest team in the history of women's Volleyball. There was no hope even for the excellent home team, overwhelmed in the final after a gruelling 3‑2 semi‑final victory over Russia (who claimed the bronze ahead of South Korea). Behind the first four were the excellent Germans.

Japan 1998
Final city: Osaka
Date: November 3‑12
Gold: Cuba
Led by Most Valuable Player Regia Torres, Cuba retained their world title in Japan. Head Coach Antonio Perdomo's charges won every match, against USA, Bulgaria, Italy, South Korea, China, Brazil in the semi‑finals and China again in the final. Russia downed Brazil in the bronze‑medal match. The finals were spread throughout Japan, with matches in Tokyo, Tokuyama, Matsumoto, Kagoshima, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Osaka.

Germany 2002
Final city: Berlin
Date: August 30 to September 15
Gold: Italy
Italy rewrote the history books and took home the title by defeating USA in a fine climax to a fine tournament. It was their best‑ever performance in an international competition. Teams such as Germany, Greece and Puerto Rico surprised pundits by swooping into the second round, but most of all it was the final between the two unexpected candidates which launched a new era for women's Volleyball. Enthusiastic spectators flocked to the stadiums in record‑breaking numbers, with 285,120 spectators watching matches in the host cities of Münster, Schwerin Dresden, Riesa, Leipzig, Bremen, Stuttgart and Berlin. Russia claimed third place.

Japan 2006
Final city: Osaka
Date: October 31 to November 16
Gold: Russia
Led by brilliant trio Liubov "Sokolova" Shashkova, Ekaterina Gamova and Elena Godina and with Italian Head Coach Giovanni Caprara at the helm, Russia claimed their sixth world crown and first since 1990 by denying Brazil their first world title in a close five‑set final. Russia had extinguished Italy's dreams of a repeat final appearance in the semi‑finals with a 3‑0 sweep but the gold‑medal match was a much closer affair, with the tie‑break going Russia's way 15‑13. Serbia‑Montenegro claimed a surprise bronze by sweeping Italy in the third‑place playoff.

Japan 2010
Final city: Tokyo
Date: October 29 to November 14
Gold:
?
The 15 venues tentatively presented to host the Women's World Championships 2010 finals in Japan are in the cities of Fukuoka, Kotie, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nagoya, Nagano, Sapporo, Saitama, Kawasaki, Hamamatsu and Tokyo. A total of 101 registered teams are taking part in the Women's World Championships.

 



The first Men's World Championship was played outdoors in Prague in 1949


The Men's World Championship continued and the women's event started in 1952


The first indoor World Championships
were played in Paris in 1956


Hosts Brazil play Romania at the Maracanazinho during the 1960 tourney


Tunisia and Russia exchange pennants in 1962 in Moscow


Gold-medallists Czechoslovakia line up
at the 1966 worlds in Prague


Rudi Schumann was a key player in East
Germany's run to gold in 1970 in Sofia


Poland Men won their first World Championship in 1974 in Mexico City


Italy's Fabrizio Nassi leads the way in the
semi-final victory over Cuba in 1978


FIVB President Paul Libaud awards the
1982 trophy to USSR's Viacheslav Zaitsev


Steve Simmons was part of the USA team that won gold in Paris in 1986


Italy explode with joy after winning the
1990 World Championship in Rio


Lorenzo Bernardi led Italy to gold glory in the Athens World Championship in 1994


Italy won their third-straight Men's World
Championship in 1998 in Tokyo


The Brazilian Men edged Russia in the
final to win the 2002 tourney in Argentina


Brazil's Giba was the star as they retained their world title in Tokyo in 2006


Poland Women attack in the 1952 worlds
in Moscow


USSR Women arrive back at Moscow's Vnuikov airport after winning in 1956


The Soviet Women were again winners of the worlds in 1960


Japan's Hirofumi Daimatsu receives a
"doage" after his team wins in 1962


Japan claimed the 1967 World
Championship on home soil in Tokyo


USSR Women were named champions at the 1970 World Championship


The Chinese Women line up after winning the 1982 World Championship in Lima


China retained their women's crown in
1986 in Prague


The Soviet Women were triumphant at
the 1990 World Championship in Beijing


The dominant Cuban Womens' team took gold at the 1994 event in Sao Paulo


Cuba retained their women's crown in
1998 in Japan


MVP Elisa Togut of 2002 winners Italy attacks during a match in Germany


Liubov "Sokolova" Shashkova spikes for
2006 worlds winners Russia in the final