The International Volleyball Federation Reinstates Russia to the Nations League

The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) has announced its decision to allow the Russian men’s and women’s national teams to participate in the Nations League starting with the 2027 season. Since this will mark the return of the highest-ranked teams among those that did not qualify previously, the tournament will be expanded from 18 to 19 participants.

The competition format is currently being revised to accommodate the expanded field. The Ukrainian national team will also compete in this tournament. 

Meanwhile, the Russians have voluntarily withdrawn from the 2027 Men’s World Cup in Poland, while the issue regarding the 2027 Women’s World Cup, to be hosted by the United States and Canada, remains unresolved.

This was reported on the federation’s website.

On July 31, the International Olympic Committee commented on the European Union’s decision to impose sanctions against Mikhail Degtyarev, president of the Russian Olympic Committee. The IOC noted that it is closely monitoring the situation, while emphasizing its independence from the political decisions of individual states and international organizations.

FIFA plans to change the governance model for its major soccer tournaments. The organization is creating a new company to which it will transfer the commercial rights to the World Cups, and it intends to sell a portion of its shares to investors. One of the leading contenders to participate in the project is said to be the fund of American billionaire Joshua Kushner—the brother of Ivanka Trump’s husband.