Bulgarian national volleyball team European Championship

In August 2026, Bulgarian volleyball player Venislav Antov stated that the national team aimed to win medals at the upcoming European Championship. He noted that while the team sought podium finishes, their primary goal was to perform at a high level for the home crowd.

By September, as the tournament in Sofia approached, Lyubomir Ganev, President of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, confirmed the team was physically and mentally prepared. The tournament was expected to draw massive interest, with over 120,000 live attendees anticipated.

Bulgaria opened its EuroVolley 2026 campaign at Arena 8888 in Sofia with a 3-0 victory against North Macedonia (25:17, 25:19, 25:18). Aleksandar Nikolov led the scoring for the Bulgarian side with 19 points, supported by Denislav Bardarov with 15 points, while setter Simeon Nikolov recorded seven aces. Although North Macedonia led during the first half of each set, the ninth-ranked Bulgarian squad maintained control to secure the win.

The official attendance for the opener was 8,892 spectators. While remaining tickets had previously sold out, the turnout was reportedly impacted by the simultaneous Bulgarian Football Super Cup match between Levski and CSKA Sofia held in the same city. As a co-host alongside Italy, Romania, and Finland, Bulgaria continues to compete in Group B, which includes Portugal, Ukraine, Israel, and defending champions Poland.