Starting from 2025, the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will see its team count increase to 18, a move aimed at amplifying the competition’s reach and excitement by featuring more teams and matches. This expansion is part of a broader initiative to extend the global footprint of volleyball, allowing a wider audience to experience top-tier volleyball action. The decision to expand comes on the heels of a successful 2023 VNL season, which witnessed substantial growth in viewership, social media interactions, and sponsorship engagements.

The 2024 VNL season will serve as a precursor to this expansion, highlighting the tournament’s elite status by showcasing matches across four continents: Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, over six weeks from May to June. Host countries such as Brazil, Canada, China, Japan, the Philippines, Slovenia, Türkiye, and the USA are set to welcome the top 16 male and female national teams. Notably, there will be no relegation in 2024, and the division between core and challenger teams will be abolished starting next year, setting the stage for a more inclusive competition structure in 2025.

The upcoming season is not just about competition; it also plays a critical role in the qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The results from the VNL 2024 will affect the FIVB Volleyball World Rankings, which, in turn, will determine the last few teams to qualify for the Olympics, making every match count not just for the title but also for a chance to compete on one of the world’s biggest sporting stages.

The 2024 season will kick off with the women’s teams competing in locations like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and Antalya, Türkiye, from May 14-19, followed by the men’s teams in the same locations. The competition will then move to other host cities in Asia and North America, including Macau, China, and Arlington, Texas, USA, among others.

The Preliminary Phase will conclude with matches in Hong Kong, China, and Japan for the women, and Ljubljana, Slovenia, and Manila, the Philippines, for the men. The top teams will then advance to the VNL Finals, along with the host countries, promising a thrilling climax to the tournament.

This strategic expansion and the global journey of the VNL underscore volleyball’s growing appeal and the sport’s commitment to engaging fans worldwide, showcasing the game’s best talents, and fostering international sportsmanship and competition​​​​.