Following the completion of the qualifying tournaments held last weekend, the seven teams that will compete alongside hosts the Netherlands in next year`s #EuroVolleyU22W Final Round have been confirmed. This event, marking the third edition of the continental championship specifically designed for the U22 age group, is scheduled to take place in July 2026 in The Hague. The final tournament will feature a total of eight teams, starting with a pool phase, followed by semi-finals, and concluding with the medal matches.
The five teams that emerged as pool winners – Italy, Ukraine, Poland, Türkiye, and Serbia – have earned direct qualification. They will be joined by the two best runners-up from across all five qualification pools: Spain and Portugal. To ensure a fair comparison for determining the best runners-up, given that the pools varied in size (three or four teams), results from matches against the last-placed teams in the four-team groups were not considered.
Italy, Ukraine, and Türkiye demonstrated strong form, each dropping only one set in their respective groups. Serbia faced a tougher challenge in Pool E but successfully navigated it with victories over Croatia (3-2), Luxembourg (3-0), and hosts Bulgaria (3-1). Poland was the only pool winner to finish without losing a single set, a performance that included a walkover due to Israel`s withdrawal. Spain, playing on home soil in Torrejon de Ardoz, secured their spot as one of the best runners-up by defeating both Norway and Ireland in straight sets and taking one set from Türkiye. Portugal also qualified as a best runner-up, notably winning a set in their match against Pool A winners Italy.
The championship in the Netherlands next year will determine the 2026 U22 women`s European champions. Italy has an impressive record in this competition, having won the gold medal in both previous editions in 2022 and 2024.
