Volleyball Nations League (VNL) Explained

The Volleyball Nations League (VNL) is the FIVB’s main annual international competition for national volleyball teams, held separately for women and men. Teams play a preliminary phase over several weeks in host cities around the world, and the strongest eight advance to a knockout Finals (Wikipedia).

This guide explains where the VNL came from, how the format works, how teams get in and drop out, and why it matters for volleyball fans in the Philippines.

The VNL at a glance

Item	Details
Organiser	FIVB, the sport’s world governing body
First edition	2018
Replaced	The women’s World Grand Prix and the men’s World League
Teams	18 per edition (women’s and men’s) since 2025
Format	Multi-week preliminary phase, then an eight-team knockout Finals
Relegation	Last-placed team drops out; Challenger Cup winner promoted
Philippine link	The Philippines hosted a Women’s VNL week in 2026

Sources: Wikipedia, FIVB, The Post.

A short history of the VNL

The FIVB announced the VNL in October 2017 as a joint project with media company IMG and 21 national federations. It replaced two long-running annual events: the women’s World Grand Prix, which ran from 1993 to 2017, and the men’s World League (Wikipedia).

The first women’s VNL took place from May to July 2018, with the final round in Nanjing, China, where the United States beat Turkey to win the inaugural title. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the competition returned in 2021.

How the VNL format works

The competition has two phases.

1. The preliminary phase

Under the format used since 2022, each team plays 12 matches across three weeks of competition, with teams split into pools that play in different host cities each week. There is a one-week gap between events (Wikipedia). All results count toward a single overall table.

Because the weeks are spread across several countries, teams travel between continents during the preliminary phase, which is one reason squads rotate.

2. The Finals

The top eight teams in the overall standings go straight to a knockout Finals: four quarterfinals, two semifinals, and the bronze and gold medal matches. The Finals are held in a host city chosen in advance.

Squads and player rotation

Each team registers a long list of players for the season and names a smaller match-day squad each week. In 2026, teams named a 12 to 14-player squad each week from a 30-player list (Wikipedia). Coaches use this to rest key players and test new ones, so the same country can look quite different from one week to the next.

Qualification, relegation and promotion

From 2025, the VNL expanded to 18 teams and dropped the old split between permanent “core” teams and “challenger” teams (Wikipedia). Now:

• The last-placed team in the final standings drops out of the next edition.
• The winner of the Volleyball Challenger Cup, held after the VNL, is promoted.
• The top team not yet qualified in the senior world ranking can also be promoted.

This keeps the field open to rising nations and means every match counts, even for teams far from the Finals.

VNL prize money

The VNL pays prize money for results. In the preliminary round, a winning team earns US4,250. In the Finals, the champions receive US500,000, with smaller amounts down to eighth place. Prize money is the same for the women’s and men’s competitions under the FIVB’s gender equality policy (Wikipedia).

The VNL and the Philippines

The Philippines has become a regular VNL stop. In 2026, it hosted a Women’s VNL week in June, one of four major international volleyball events the country hosted that year (The Post), and it was announced as a host for 2026 and 2027 (SPIN.ph). Hosting gives Filipino fans the chance to watch the world’s top national teams in person.

The Philippine national teams, Alas Pilipinas, are not regular VNL participants, but hosting and regional events such as the AVC Nations Cup are part of their path to higher-level international play. See [LINK: Alas Pilipinas].

VNL terms to know

Term	Meaning
Preliminary phase	The multi-week stage where all teams play and results feed one overall table
Week	One block of matches in a host city
Overall standings	The combined table after all preliminary matches
Finals	The eight-team knockout stage at the end of the season
Volleyball Challenger Cup	The event that decides which team is promoted into the next VNL
World ranking points	Points that VNL results add to each team’s FIVB world ranking

Why the VNL matters

The VNL is the best regular look at the world’s top national teams. For fans, it is a chance to see rising players and how national teams are shaping up ahead of bigger events like the World Championship and the Olympics. Because results feed into world rankings, every match also affects seeding for future tournaments. And because squads rotate from week to week, VNL results are best read over several weeks rather than one match at a time.

For Filipino fans, the VNL also shows where the national programme stands. Hosting VNL weeks brings world-class volleyball to Filipino crowds and gives young Filipino players a close view of the international game. It also helps the country build experience in running major events, alongside hosting the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.

VNL vs other volleyball competitions

Competition	Who plays	How often
VNL	Top national teams	Every year
World Championship	National teams	Every two years under the current FIVB calendar (confirm)
Olympics	National teams	Every four years
Club leagues (PVL, Spikers’ Turf)	Club teams	Every season

How to follow the VNL

1. Check the schedule on the official Volleyball World site and FIVB channels.
2. Watch local broadcasts when a week is hosted in the Philippines; check the broadcaster for each edition.
3. Track the overall table, since all preliminary results feed one standings list.
4. Watch squad lists each week, as rotations change who plays.

Frequently asked questions

What is the VNL in volleyball?

The Volleyball Nations League, an annual FIVB competition for national teams, held for both women and men.

How many teams play in the VNL?

Eighteen teams in each competition since the 2025 edition.

When did the VNL start?

In 2018, replacing the women’s World Grand Prix and the men’s World League.

Does the Philippines play in the VNL?

The Philippines has hosted VNL weeks, including a Women’s VNL week in 2026, but Alas Pilipinas are not regular VNL participants.

How do teams get relegated from the VNL?

Since 2025, the last-placed team drops out, and the Challenger Cup winner is promoted for the next edition.

Is the VNL the same as the World Championship?

No. The VNL is a yearly league-style competition with a preliminary phase and Finals. The World Championship is a separate FIVB tournament that decides the world champions.

Keep learning

Follow the national teams in [LINK: Alas Pilipinas], then see how club volleyball works in [LINK: PVL Philippines] on ArenaPlus Insider. If you also follow the betting side, Handicap and Over/Under Betting Explained explains how volleyball lines work, and Insider covers other sports in ArenaPlus Basketball and Football Betting on ArenaPlus: A Beginner’s Guide.

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