This is how the 2025 European Universities Volleyball Championship will unfold in Budapest

In the summer of 2025, Budapest will host the European Universities Volleyball Championship. Both the men's and women's competitions promise to feature a highly diverse international field. However, the exact group allocations will only be revealed during the official draw, scheduled for 2 p.m. on 27 July. Until then, we present the tournament’s structure and format below.

Men’s Tournament – 14 participating teams

The men's competition will be divided into four groups:

• Groups A and B: 4 teams each
• Groups C and D: 3 teams each

In the group stage, a round-robin format will be used:

• In Groups A and B, each team will play 3 matches
• In Groups C and D, each team will play 2 matches

Top bracket (places 1–8):
The first- and second-place teams from each group (total of 8 teams) will advance to the quarter-finals, followed by a classic single-elimination system:

• Winners will proceed to the semi-finals, then the final or bronze medal match (for places 1–4)
• Losers will move on to the 5–8 placement semifinals, followed by placement matches for 5th and 7th place

Bottom bracket (places 9–14):
The third- and fourth-place teams from each group will enter this bracket. They will compete in two new groups (E and F), again in a round-robin format. Then:

• Winners of Groups E and F will play for 9th place
• Runners-up will play for 11th place
• Third-place teams will play for 13th place

Women’s Tournament – 16 participating teams

The women’s field will consist of four groups with 4 teams each. All teams will play 3 matches during the group stage in a round-robin format.

Top bracket (places 1–8):
The top two teams from each group (8 teams total) will advance to the quarter-finals. From there, a single-elimination phase will determine the final standings:

• Winners will progress to the semi-finals, then to the final or bronze medal match (for places 1–4)
• Losers will play in the 5–8 placement semi-finals, followed by matches for 5th and 7th place

Bottom bracket (places 9–16):
The third- and fourth-place teams from each group will enter this bracket. The format here also starts with quarter-finals, followed by further placement matches to determine rankings from 9th to 16th place. Each team will play 3 additional matches in this phase.

The tournament structure ensures that every team will play at least 5–6 matches throughout the event, providing ample opportunity for all participants—whether competing for the championship or fighting for placement. Detailed matchups and schedules will be published following the official draw.