North Macedonia U20 learn opponents for Sofia zonal qualifiers
North Macedonia U20 will play a five-team round robin in Sofia from 25–29 August 2026, meeting Bulgaria, Belarus, Serbia, Russia and Turkey.
The North Macedonia men's U20 volleyball team learned their opponents for the zonal qualifiers to the 2027 European Championship, which will take place in Sofia, Bulgaria from 25–29 August 2026.
The draw placed the Macedonian side in a strong pool after the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) decided that Russia and Belarus will take part through the BVA Balkan Championships, competitions that also serve as zonal qualifiers. As a result, Macedonia will face Bulgaria, Serbia, Turkey, Russia and Belarus in Sofia.
Unlike the girls’ tournament, where teams are split into groups, the men’s event will be played in a single round-robin format — every team meets every other team.
Match schedule for North Macedonia (local times)
25 August 2026 — vs Bulgaria, 17:30.
26 August 2026 — vs Belarus, 15:00.
27 August 2026 — vs Serbia, 15:00.
28 August 2026 — vs Russia, 20:00.
29 August 2026 — vs Turkey, 17:30.
The U20 squad will begin preparations on 5 August 2026 in Krushevo. Head coach Jovan Šape and his assistant Miodrag Noveski have named a preliminary group of 18 hopeful players drawn from nine domestic clubs.
Officials expect the team to use the Krushevo camp to finalise the roster and tactics ahead of the Balkan Championships, where every match will be decisive for qualification to the 2027 European Championship.
Photo: balkanvolleyball.org
