5 teams to watch at Volleyball Men's World Championship 2022
The 2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championships will commence at the end of the month on August 26, and run through September 11. The best players from their respective countries will come together to put on an absolute show across the 17-day competition.
Over 20 countries are competing, including:
- Germany
- United States
- Ukraine
- Mexico
- Japan
- Qatar
- Egypt
- Poland
- Slovenia
- Serbia
- Cuba
- Argentina
- Brazil
- China
- Italy
- Iran
The stars will truly be out in the world of volleyball with many countries believing they have a good shot at taking home the trophy. Here are the five teams that viewers should look out for.
5) Italy
The Italian squad is routinely one of the top teams in the world. They have a deep pool of talent to draw from and are one of the most talented teams out there. According to FIVB, they're the sixth-ranked team in the Senior World Rankings with 332 points. They're narrowly behind the fifth-placed United States.
Led by coach Ferdinando de Giorgi, this squad has what it takes to make a deep run. They begin their tournament by facing off against Canada, ranked 14th right now.
4) United States
The United States has always been an athletic powerhouse in most sports. They're a frequent top finisher in the Olympics and their performances at the World Championships affirm that. In volleyball, they're not the best, but they are one of the top talents.
Right now, on the men's side of the FIVB, they're the fifth-ranked country with a total of 340 points. Their team, led by coach John Speraw, is one of the best units and it wouldn't be a surprise for anyone if they make a deep run.
3) Brazil
Brazil routinely performs well in most international sports and volleyball is no exception. Their 360 points is good enough for third place in the Senior World Rankings for Men's Volleyball. They'll open up the competition against Cuba on August 26. Cuba is currently ranked 12th, so it should be a fun matchup.
They're the third-best team in the world right now, so it wouldn't surprise anyone if they won it all, however, they're not really the favorites. This makes them an intriguing watch because they're not juggernauts, but they can do some damage in this tournament.
2) France
It's always fun to watch a good team and that is exactly what France are. Their team is among the world's best. Right now, they're the second-best team in the world, according to FIVB. Their 373 points puts them above teams like Japan, Argentina, Italy, the United States and Brazil.
They have one of the deepest rosters in the world led by Andrea Giani and can contend with any and every team they face. That will first be tested against Germany.
1) Poland
The team that everyone should be watching is the world's best team right now. Poland is the top-ranked men's team in the entire world with 373 points, according to the FIVB rankings. Nikola Grbíc's squad is deep and talented and is one of the favorites this year.
It's always fun to watch a team that ends up winning it and Poland stands probably the best chance of doing so. They'll kick off their competition against Bulgaria.
Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the author.