Iran to play Russia in volleyball friendlies in August
The Iranian men’s national volleyball team is set to visit Ufa in late August for a pair of friendlies against European powerhouse Russia, the Iranian Volleyball Federation announced on Sunday.
The national governing body added that other teams could be invited by the Russian federation during the same period, potentially expanding the event into a friendly tournament.
Widely regarded as one of the heavyweights in the history of the sport, Russia has been suspended by the International Volleyball Federation from participation in FIVB and CEV tournaments since February 2022, in the aftermath of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
The visit will form part of Iran’s preparations for the Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship, which begins on September 4 in Fukuoka, Japan, where Iran will be chasing a fifth title in eight editions.
As if Iran needed extra motivation to avenge its 2023 final defeat to Japan on home soil, an Olympic quota place will be at stake in Fukuoka, with the champion securing a berth in the men’s volleyball tournament at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Iran faces a hectic international calendar in the coming months, beginning with the preliminary round of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).
Italian head coach Roberto Piazza’s men will open their VNL campaign against Brazil in Brasília on June 10, before taking on Bulgaria – finalist at last September’s World Championships – Argentina and Belgium later in Week 1 at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium.
Iran will then travel to Orléans, France, for the second week of action, starting with a daunting clash against the formidable host and reigning Olympic champion France on June 24, followed by matches against the United States, Japan and Cuba.
The third and final week of the preliminaries will see Piazza’s side face Ukraine in Belgrade on July 15, before further tests against Germany, Slovenia and Türkiye.
The top eight teams in the 18-team standings will advance to the VNL Finals, which begin in Ningbo, China, on July 29. China is already guaranteed a place in the quarterfinals as host.
Iran will aim to build on a promising first year under Piazza by securing its first quarterfinal berth in four years at the prestigious annual tournament. After finishing in the bottom three in the previous two editions, Iran staged a late surge in the 2025 preliminaries to place eighth with six wins from 12 matches. However, Piazza’s team ultimately missed out on the Finals, as China’s host status secured it a quarterfinal spot despite finishing second from bottom.
Momentum from several impressive VNL performances carried into the World Championship in the Philippines, where Iran advanced to the quarterfinals before suffering a 3–1 defeat to surprise package Czechia.
Another encounter between Iran and Japan could be on the cards at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, which will kick off on September 19, as Piazza’s men aim for a fourth successive men’s gold medal at the multi-sport event.