FIVB Women's European Volleyball Championship predictions and betting odds

By Klimentijs Konevs | Published: 20 August, 2026, 15:15

The 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship will be held from 21 August to 6 September, with 24 teams battling it out across Azerbaijan, Czechia, Sweden, and Turkiye. A total of 76 matches will be played before a new European champion is crowned. The tournament will conclude in Istanbul, where the semi-finals and final will take place.

Defending champions Turkiye will be hoping to lift the trophy in front of their home fans after defeating Serbia in a thrilling five-set final in 2023. There is plenty at stake beyond the title as well, with the champions securing a place at the 2028 Olympic Games, while the top three teams will qualify for the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Cup.

Italy

Italy are clear favourites to win the tournament at 1.66. They are currently ranked number 1 in the world and have been the strongest women's national side over the past two years. Julio Velasco's team won gold at the 2024 Olympic Games and followed that with another major title at the 2025 World Championship, where they beat Turkiye 3-2 in the final.

Italy also had another strong Nations League campaign this summer, finishing third after winning 12 of their 15 matches. With players like Paola Egonu, Ekaterina Antropova, Alessia Orro and Anna Danesi still forming the core of the team, Italy have both quality and experience. They won four major trophies in just over a year before the start of 2026, so they will be the team to beat at the Euros.

Turkiye

Turkiye are priced at 3.50 to lift the trophy. Daniele Santarelli has turned the team into one of the strongest in the world over the past few years. Since winning their first-ever European title in 2023, Turkiye have added the FIVB World Cup later that year. They finished fourth at the 2024 Olympic Games, claimed silver at the 2025 World Championship, and won the 2026 Nations League.

The squad is packed with world-class talent. Melissa Vargas remains one of the best players in women's volleyball. Zehra Gunes, Hande Baladin and Gizem Orge provide quality all over the court. Playing the final stages in front of their home fans in Istanbul could also give Turkiye an extra edge this time.

Serbia

Serbia's recent form has been much less convincing than the two teams mentioned above. They won the 2022 World Championship and reached the final of EuroVolley 2023, when they have lost to Turkiye. Since then, results have dropped. Serbia finished seventh at the 2024 Olympic Games, went out in the Round of 16 at the 2025 World Championship, and placed only 11th in the 2026 Nations League with 5 wins from 12 matches.

Still, they have a good-quality squad. The main star is Tijana Boskovic, who is considered one of the best opposite hitters in the world. Zoran Terzic is also back as head coach after returning in 2024. He previously led Serbia through their most successful years. That's one of the most important reasons why Serbia are third favourites.

Poland

Poland have become one of the most consistent teams in Europe over the last few years. Their biggest strength is that they have kept most of their core together under Stefano Lavarini, who has been in charge since 2022.

Poland won three straight Nations League bronze medals between 2023 and 2025 and reached the quarter-finals of both the 2024 Olympics and the 2025 World Championship. Their 2026 Nations League campaign was less impressive, though, as they finished ninth and missed the knockout stage. Poland haven't won the European Championship since 2005, but they are certainly among the teams capable of challenging the main favourites.

Netherlands

Netherlands are the biggest outsiders among the five favourites, but they have shown enough in recent tournaments to deserve a mention. They finished third at the 2023 European Championship, reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Championship, and also made the knockout stage of the 2026 Nations League, where they finished eighth.

The Dutch team are not as strong on paper as Italy or Turkiye, but they are difficult to rule out. Felix Koslowski has been in charge since 2023, and the squad still includes experienced names such as Sarah van Aalen and Britt Bongaerts. Their only European title came back in 1995, so winning the whole tournament would be a huge surprise.

Our prediction is that Turkiye will win the 2026 European Championship. They have a favourable draw and should have a pretty comfortable road to the later stages. The final part of the tournament will also be played in Istanbul, which is a huge boost. Playing in front of a home crowd can make a real difference, especially in the biggest matches.

Melissa Vargas should once again be Turkiye’s main weapon and, probably, the most dangerous attacker in the tournament. Poland and Italy could give them a tough fight if they meet in the knockout stage, but we still expect Turkiye to come out on top. They have the quality, the home advantage, and everything they need to defend their European title.

Bulgaria vs Ukraine - Bulgaria +1.5 sets at 2.20

Both teams have only one win in their last 10 matches, but Bulgaria have dominated this H2H every time. Only the most recent game between these two teams was close, with Bulgaria winning 3-2. That is why we think Bulgaria +1.5 sets at 2.20 is a good pick for their match against Ukraine on August 21.

France vs Slovakia - Slovakia to win at 6.00

This is a risky one at odds of 6.00, but recent form shows that Slovakia look more prepared for this match than France. France have suffered some disappointing losses against weaker sides recently, and their form doesn't give us much. Slovakia have a real chance to take advantage of that and pull off an upset. 

The 2026 Women's European Volleyball Championship features 24 national teams. Twelve teams qualified automatically. These included the four host nations and the best-performing teams from the previous edition. The remaining 12 places were decided through qualification, where 21 teams competed across seven groups.

The final tournament begins with a group stage, where the 24 teams are split into four groups of six. Each team plays the other five teams in its group once, earning three points for a 3-0 or 3-1 victory, two points for a 3-2 win, and one point for a 2-3 defeat.

The top four teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, meaning 16 teams reach the play-offs. From there, the tournament becomes a straight single-elimination competition, with the winners progressing through the quarter-finals and semi-finals before the champion is crowned in Istanbul.

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