Iran learns Asian volleyball schedule for 2026
Iranian men’s and women’s national teams have learned their schedules for the upcoming continental season after the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) unveiled its 2026 calendar and host cities on Saturday.
The most anticipated event for Iranian volleyball will be the AVC Men’s Asian Championship, which begins on September 4 in Fukuoka, Japan. Team Melli will be chasing its fifth title — and its third in four editions — at the continent’s flagship tournament.
As if Roberto Piazza’s men needed additional motivation to make amends for their final setback against Japan on home soil in the previous edition, an Olympic berth will also be up for grabs in Fukuoka, with the champion earning a place at the Los Angeles 2028 Games.
Meanwhile, the Iranian women’s national team, fresh off a historic gold medal at the CAVA Championship and a bronze medal at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games, will compete in the AVC Women’s Championship, which will kick off in Tianjin, China.
Iran, which qualified for the competition thanks to its CAVA triumph, will be looking to improve on its 10th-place finish at the previous Asian showpiece in Thailand in 2023.
Both Iranian men’s and women’s teams will also take part in the volleyball competition at the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games in September, with Piazza’s side aiming for a fourth successive gold medal at the multi-sport event.
In age-group tournaments, record seven-time champion Iran — having fallen short against Japan and China in the 2022 and 2024 finals, respectively — will bid for its first Asian Boys’ U18 Championship title since 2014 when the tournament gets underway in Manama, Bahrain, on July 12.
South Korean head coach Lee Do-hee’s side, meanwhile, will look to build on its gold-medal campaign at last October’s Asian Youth Games when the AVC Girls’ U18 Championship is staged in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand, from July 1.
Iran achieved its best result in eight appearances at the event in the 2024 edition, finishing sixth after a straight-sets defeat against South Korea in its final match in Thailand.
The continental season will begin with the AVC Women’s Champions League in Goyang, South Korea, from April 26 to 30, followed by the Men’s Champions League, which will get underway in Pontianak, Indonesia, on May 13.