European Volleyball Championship: The Round of 16 Matchups (Which Look Promising for Italy)

The group stage of the 2026 Men’s Volleyball European Championship has concluded: the top four teams from each group have secured their spots in the round of 16, completing a tournament bracket that will conclude at the Assago Forum on Saturday, September 26.

The round of 16 will take place between Saturday, September 19, and Monday, September 21; Tuesday, September 22, and Wednesday, September 23, will feature the quarterfinals; and then, between Friday, September 25, and Saturday, September 26, the semifinals and medal matches will be held.

Italy will face Denmark, but more importantly, given the other results, it has ensured that it will avoid both France and Poland until a potential final.

Here are the round of 16 matchups:

Italy vs. Denmark
Finland vs. Greece
Belgium vs. Czech Republic
Slovenia vs. Serbia
Poland vs. Latvia
Germany vs. Bulgaria
France vs. Portugal
Ukraine vs. Romania