The Bulgarian national volleyball team faces the reigning European champions, Poland, tonight at 19:00 in the "Arena Sofia." This is the final match of the European Championship group stage, and the encounter is highly anticipated by Bulgarian fans.
Although Gianlorenzo Blengini's squad has already secured a spot in the round of 16, the boys have a chance to finish the group on a high note. Their path to the knockout stages included a dramatic 3:1 victory over Israel, where the team started hesitantly and lost the first set 23:25, but subsequently showed great character to turn the tide with scores of 25:22, 25:15, and 25:20. This marks Bulgaria's third victory in the tournament, following previous wins against Portugal and North Macedonia, despite a setback against Ukraine in the middle of their Sofia campaign.
The group standings are still up for grabs, adding extra tension to the clash against Poland. With a 3:0 or 3:1 set victory, Bulgaria could overtake Ukraine to finish in second place. These positions will determine our opponents in the next phase:
- If we finish second, we will face Romania in the round of 16;
- If we finish third, we will face Germany.
The task against the Polish side will not be easy, as proven this summer when our team suffered a 0:3 set defeat in a direct matchup. The EuroVolley 2026 champions have had a convincing start, first dominating Portugal 3:0 and then recording subsequent victories over all group opponents, including Ukraine, to secure first place ahead of schedule.