--- title: "Japan hosts 2026 AVC Volleyball Men's Continental Championship at Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan; Olympic berth for LA28 secured." sdDatePublished: "2026-09-04T07:08:00Z" source: "https://www.fivb.com/es/fukuoka-fever-rises-for-avcs-biggest-mens-volleyball-showdown/" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" - name: "sport event" identifier: "medtop:20001108" locations: - "Bahrain" - "India" - "Oman" - "Qatar" - "Thailand" - "New Zealand" - "Iran" - "Australia" - "China" - "Japan" --- Japan hosts 2026 AVC Volleyball Men's Continental Championship at Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan; Olympic berth for LA28 secured. Fukuoka fever rises for AVC’s biggest men’s volleyball showdown – FIVB The battle for Asian volleyball supremacy is set to unfold at the Kitakyushu City General Gymnasium in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan, as the 2026 AVC Volleyball Men’s Continental Championship takes centre stage from September 4-13. Twelve national programmes will compete across a dynamic pool play stage, with hosts Japan headlining Pool A alongside Australia, Bahrain and Oman. Pool B will feature a fiery mix of contenders with Iran, China, India and New Zealand, while Pool C presents a balanced clash between Qatar, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Thailand. Following round-robin action, the top eight teams will advance into the high-stakes quarterfinal knockout rounds to determine which teams march towards the championship final. The stakes could not be higher: the winning team secures an automatic quota place for the LA28 Olympic Games, while all three podium finishers earn direct qualification slots as AVC entries for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup. Entering as the undisputed heavy favourites are Japan, Iran and China, who continue to compete in the Volleyball Nations League. Hosts Japan hold a distinct home-court advantage alongside world-class technical execution as they look to make a serious push to retain the title. Long-time powerhouse and multiple champions Iran bring elite physical presence and tactical mastery to Pool B. China and Korea have had their share of titles in the competition’s history and remain perennial giants capable of dismantling any opponent when their offensive systems click. Behind these traditional powerhouses, several intriguing dark-horse contenders are primed to make a dent in the bracket. Australia boast massive physical tools and international experience, while Qatar and Bahrain have recently built reputations as dangerous tactical disruptors capable of pulling off major knockout-stage upsets. A major catalyst for the heightened parity across the continent is the targeted backing of the FIVB Volleyball Empowerment programme, which directly reinforces eight of the 12 participating nations through technical, operational and coaching support. In the West Asia zone (WAVA), Bahrain have received $252,000 in coaching support to secure head coaches Arnaud François Josserand and Ivan Joksimovic. Qatar have similarly been granted $252,000 to retain head coach Camilo Andres Soto through 2026, building upon an additional $110,000 in equipment upgrades and $18,000 in knowledge transfer projects. Meanwhile, Oman have benefited from $210,000 in application-based support to fund coaches Darwish Bilal Darwish Al Zaabi and Hossein Reza Vakili from 2024 to 2026, supplementing $12,000 in foundational equipment investments. Central Asia’s (CAVA) India hold an ongoing project valued at $484,500 to retain head coach Dragan Mihailovic through 2026. Asian power Iran are benefiting from $200,000 in targeted travel and accommodation support for 2026, adding to $95,000 in equipment funding and a $12,000 investment following its approval as an FIVB International Center of Excellence. In East Asia (EAVA), Korea have been allocated $178,500 in coaching support for Issanaye Ramires from 2024 to 2026, complementing $23,000 previously received for equipment and knowledge transfer until 2024. Southeast Asia’s (SAVA) Thailand received $252,000 in coaching support to enlist veteran head coach Park Ki-Won for their senior programme, augmenting $138,000 in equipment upgrades and $12,000 in knowledge transfer activations in 2026. Leading all federations in total investment is Oceania’s Australia, which received a massive $1,163,500 coaching package to appoint head coach Daniel Ilott from 2021 through 2026, alongside $6,000 received earlier in 2021 as knowledge transfer funding. With direct Olympic and World Cup berths on the line, these targeted resource injections set the stage for an extraordinarily competitive championship in Fukuoka. As technical expertise, world-class coaching and state-of-the-art equipment spread more evenly across all regional zones, every match in Kitakyushu carries profound significance for the future trajectory of Asian volleyball. The stage is officially set for a dramatic 10 days of world-class action on the road to LA28. Kenya and Egypt advance to African Nations final, book World Cup 2027 berths Fukuoka fever rises for AVC’s biggest men’s volleyball showdown Karmen Kocar aprovecha la oportunidad de servir de inspiración a las futuras entrenadoras El histórico cuarto puesto de la selección femenina de Irán refleja su progresión gracias al empoderamiento Polonia, el equipo número uno del mundo, se alza con el prestigioso Memorial Hubert Wagner en casa Canadá y México suben al podio de la Final Six masculina de la NORCECA con «Empowerment» Tailandia revalida el título continental de la AVC y se asegura su primera clasificación olímpica de la historia Canadá se asegura la plaza olímpica para los Juegos de Los Ángeles 2028 y completa así el histórico doblete de la NORCECA El capitán de Irán, Sina Hazrati, ha sido nombrado MVP del Campeonato Mundial Sub-17 masculino Socios globales de la FIVB Proveedores oficiales de la FIVB