European women's volleyball title to be decided in Istanbul as Türkiye begins crown defense
Türkiye is set to host and defend its title at the 2026 European Women's Volleyball Championship. The tournament will feature 24 teams across four countries, with the final matches taking place in Istanbul.
Why it matters
Hosting major international sporting events serves as a significant platform for national branding and tourism for the host countries.
The Trendyol 2026 European Women's Volleyball Championship will bring together 24 national teams across four host countries, with defending champion Türkiye opening its campaign against Latvia in Istanbul on Friday before the tournament returns to the city for the semifinals and medal matches. Türkiye, Czechia, Azerbaijan and Sweden will share hosting duties for the 34th edition of the championship, while Istanbul will take on the central role by staging Türkiye's entire group campaign and the final on Sept. 6. Türkiye opens title defense at home Türkiye will get its title defense underway against Latvia at Istanbul's Sinan Erdem Sports Hall at 7 p.m. local time on Aug. 21. The national team, coached by Daniele Santarelli, will then take on Slovenia on Aug. 23, Hungary on Aug. 24, Germany on Aug. 26, and Poland on Aug. 28 as it looks to move through Group A.
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