LA 2028: six teams have already booked their Olympic place!

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The road to Los Angeles 2028 has officially begun to take shape, with six teams already guaranteed a place in the men’s Olympic volleyball tournament.

With all five continental qualification events now completed, the first phase of the qualification process has filled six of the 12 available spots.
Hosts United States are automatically qualified, while Brazil, Cuba, Japan, Tunisia and Poland have secured their places by winning their respective continental championships or qualifiers.
The remaining six Olympic berths will be decided at a later stage, with three tickets available through the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup in Poland and the final three awarded according to the FIVB World Ranking after the preliminary phase of the 2028 Volleyball Nations League.

The United States will therefore return to the Olympic stage as hosts. Los Angeles 2028 will mark the third time the country has hosted Olympic volleyball, following Los Angeles 1984 and Atlanta 1996. It will also be the 12th consecutive Olympic appearance for the American men and their 14th overall.
The USA enter their home Games as bronze medallists from Paris 2024.
Their Olympic record includes three gold medals, won in 1984, 1988 and 2008, as well as three bronze medals. They are currently fourth in the FIVB World Ranking.

Japan were the first team to qualify through competition, defending their AVC Men’s Volleyball Asian Championship title on home soil in Fukuoka. The result secured their place in Los Angeles and extended a remarkable Olympic run: Japan will appear at the Games for the third consecutive edition and for the 11th time overall.
Japan hosted the first Olympic volleyball tournament in Tokyo in 1964, winning bronze. They then improved to silver in 1968 before claiming Olympic gold in 1972. They currently occupy fifth place in the world ranking.

Cuba are also heading back to the Olympics after a 12-year absence. Their victory at the NORCECA Men’s Volleyball Continental Olympic Qualifier in Moncton, Canada secured their return to the Games.
Cuba have appeared at the Olympics seven times, with their best result coming in Montreal in 1976, where they won bronze. They currently sit 13th in the world ranking.

Brazil, meanwhile, have kept alive one of the most extraordinary streaks in Olympic volleyball. Since the sport made its Olympic debut in 1964, Brazil’s men’s national team has never missed an edition. Their qualification for Los Angeles will therefore mark a 17th consecutive Olympic appearance.
The three-time Olympic champions — winners in 1992, 2004 and 2016 — secured their ticket by winning the CSV Men’s Volleyball South American Championship in Rio de Janeiro without dropping a single set.
Brazil have three Olympic gold medals and three silver medals in their collection and currently rank sixth in the world.

Africa’s Olympic representative will be Tunisia, who won the CAVB Men’s Volleyball African Nations Championship on home soil in Tunis. The result earned Tunisia their continental ticket and will send them to the Olympics for the eighth time in men’s volleyball.
Tunisia are currently ranked 30th in the world.

The sixth and latest team to qualify is Poland, who booked their Olympic place by defending their CEV Men’s Volleyball European Championship title.
The world number one team will return to the Olympic stage as reigning European champions and Paris 2024 silver medallists. Poland won their only Olympic gold medal in Montreal in 1976 and reached the podium again in Paris, where they claimed silver.
Los Angeles will mark Poland’s 12th Olympic appearance and their seventh consecutive participation.

With six teams now confirmed, half of the Olympic men’s volleyball field is already known.
The remaining places will be determined over the next two years.
Three of them will go to the highest-placed non-qualified teams at the 2027 FIVB Men’s Volleyball World Cup in Poland. The final three berths will then be awarded through the FIVB World Ranking, based on the standings at the conclusion of the preliminary phase of the 2028 Volleyball Nations League.

For now, six flags are already guaranteed to fly in Los Angeles: United States, Japan, Cuba, Brazil, Tunisia and Poland.

The Olympic qualification race is underway.

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