TR
NATIONAL TEAM PROFILE

Türkiye Men’s National Volleyball Team

Türkiye · Men volleyball

Last updated
World RankingNo. 17 — 237.64 points in the October 1, 2026 ranking snapshot — View full FIVB rankings
World Championship Best ResultQuarterfinals: 2025 — first in team history
About the team

Türkiye Men’s National Volleyball Team on the international stage

Türkiye’s men’s national volleyball team has spent the current decade crossing competitive thresholds that had previously remained out of reach. The program built its modern rise through three CEV European Golden League titles, converted that regional success into promotion to the Volleyball Nations League in 2023, returned to the World Championship after a long absence, and then reached the quarterfinals of the 2025 global championship for the first time. That progression has changed Türkiye’s place in European men’s volleyball: the team is no longer working simply to enter the highest-level events, but to establish itself within them.

The present phase is led by head coach Slobodan Kovač and captain Murat Yenipazar, with opposite Adis Lagumdžija as the principal scoring reference and a growing group around Efe Bayram, Efe Mandıracı, Gökçen Yüksel, Bedirhan Bülbül and the wider 2026 selection. The first VNL Finals appearance in 2026 confirmed another step forward, but a group-stage exit at EuroVolley later in the same season exposed the remaining gap between peak performance and repeatable tournament control. Türkiye’s current era is therefore defined by genuine upward movement without the stability of an established medal contender yet.

Team Information

FieldDetail
Official Team NameTürkiye Men’s National Volleyball Team
Native / Federation NameA Milli Erkek Voleybol Takımı
NicknameFilenin Efeleri
CountryTürkiye
GenderMen
National FederationTürkiye Voleybol Federasyonu (TVF)
FIVB CodeTUR
Region / ConfederationEurope / CEV
Head CoachSlobodan Kovač
CaptainMurat Yenipazar
FIVB World RankingNo. 17 — 237.64 points in the October 1, 2026 ranking snapshot — View full FIVB rankings
Current Cycle2026–2028 / LA28 cycle
2027 Global Championship StatusRemaining route is through FIVB World Ranking allocation; complete 32-team men’s field not yet formally published in the latest official update
LA28 Olympic StatusNot yet qualified
World Championship Best ResultQuarterfinals — 2025
VNL Best ResultQuarterfinals — 2026
EuroVolley Best Result10th — 2021
CEV European Golden LeagueChampions — 2019, 2021, 2023
Federation WebsiteTürkiye Voleybol Federasyonu
Federation X@tvforgtr
Federation Instagram@tvforgtr
Federation FacebookTürkiye Voleybol Federasyonu
Federation YouTubeTVF Voleybol TV
Federation TikTok@tvforgtr

Kovač became head coach in July 2025, succeeding Umut Çakır after Türkiye’s second VNL season. His appointment brought a coach with both major international playing experience and previous national-team coaching work with Serbia, Slovenia and Iran. Yenipazar remains the senior captain and starting setter around whom the current offense is organized.

Türkiye entered EuroVolley 2026 at No. 10 in the FIVB World Ranking after its VNL breakthrough. The difficult European Championship subsequently had a major ranking cost, with Türkiye listed at No. 17 and 237.64 points in the October 1 snapshot. The official Volleyball World ranking page remains the live source for subsequent movement.

Team History & Development

Türkiye’s current international position makes more sense when viewed as a progression through competitive levels rather than as the product of one breakout tournament. For much of the modern era, the men’s program operated outside the small group of European teams consistently present in the final rounds of the major world competitions. Its path upward was built first through the European League structure.

The decisive modern sequence began in 2019. Türkiye went unbeaten through the CEV European Golden League and defeated Belarus 3–0 in the final in Tallinn to win the competition for the first time. Captain and setter Arslan Ekşi was named Final Four MVP. The 2020 edition was cancelled, and Türkiye successfully defended its status when the competition returned in 2021, beating Ukraine 3–1 in the final after completing the entire campaign without a defeat. Adis Lagumdžija was the leading individual figure and earned the Final Four MVP award.

Türkiye finished second to Czechia in 2022 but reclaimed the trophy in 2023. The third title required a five-set final against Ukraine, won 3–2 in Zadar. By then the Golden League was no longer the ultimate target. Türkiye was trying to turn success at that level into access to the FIVB’s top annual competition.

That transition came through the Volleyball Challenger Cup. Türkiye finished second to Cuba in 2022, then returned in Doha in 2023 and defeated host Qatar 3–2 in the final. The Challenger Cup title delivered Türkiye’s first promotion to the Volleyball Nations League.

The first two VNL seasons were difficult. Türkiye finished 16th in its debut campaign in 2024 and 17th in 2025, learning how little margin exists across a 12-match preliminary phase against teams with deeper experience at that level. Yet the broader trajectory was already shifting. Türkiye returned to the World Championship in 2022 after a long absence, reached the Round of 16, and then went significantly further three years later.

By the end of 2026, the program had therefore travelled from European League champion to VNL quarterfinalist and World Championship quarterfinalist within seven international seasons. The remaining challenge is not access to elite competition but consistency once Türkiye gets there.

Olympic History

Türkiye’s senior men have not yet established an Olympic final-tournament history comparable to their more recent progress in the World Championship and VNL. The Paris 2024 cycle illustrated the difficulty of the qualification route: Türkiye entered the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Japan alongside the United States, Japan, Slovenia, Serbia, Finland, Egypt and Tunisia but did not take one of the direct places from the pool.

The LA28 system creates a different pathway. The United States receives the host place, five continental champions qualify through the 2026 championships, three additional teams will qualify through the 2027 global championship, and the final three men’s places will be awarded through the FIVB World Ranking after the 2028 VNL preliminary phase.

Türkiye did not win Europe’s direct berth at EuroVolley 2026. Poland defended the European title and secured the continental Olympic place, so Türkiye must continue through the remaining world-event and ranking pathways.

That makes the next two seasons especially important. The 2027 global championship is not only the next test of Türkiye’s rise; it is also the first remaining opportunity to convert that rise directly into an Olympic quota.

World Championship & Other Global Competitions

Türkiye’s World Championship record was historically intermittent. After appearances earlier in the competition’s history, the team spent more than two decades outside the tournament before returning in 2022. That edition ended in the Round of 16, but simply returning to the global field established a new baseline for the generation that would follow.

The 2025 World Championship in the Philippines produced a much larger breakthrough. Türkiye opened with a 3–0 victory over Japan, then continued through the group stage without a defeat. A 3–1 Round-of-16 victory over the Netherlands put the team into a World Championship quarterfinal for the first time.

Poland ended the run with a straight-set victory in the quarterfinals. The result still represented Türkiye’s best World Championship campaign, and its importance went beyond the final placement. The team had shown that its progress through the Golden League, Challenger Cup and VNL could translate into a knockout run at the highest global championship.

Several core players from that tournament remained central in 2026. Adis Lagumdžija continued as the primary opposite, Efe Mandıracı and Efe Bayram formed part of the wing depth, Bedirhan Bülbül remained a major blocking presence, and Yenipazar carried the setter and leadership responsibilities into the Kovač cycle.

From 2027, FIVB is renaming the former Volleyball World Championship as the FIVB Volleyball World Cup. The competition in Poland is the continuation of the World Championship lineage, not a revival of the old standalone World Cup as a separate event. Türkiye’s 2025 quarterfinal therefore remains part of the same championship history that continues under the new name.

Türkiye in the Volleyball Nations League

Promotion to the VNL was itself an important achievement, but the 2026 campaign was the first time Türkiye looked comfortable enough in the competition to challenge for the Finals rather than merely survive its preliminary schedule.

Türkiye finished the 2026 preliminary phase in sixth place with eight victories, four defeats and 22 points. The decisive result came against Iran, a 3–1 victory that confirmed Türkiye’s first qualification for the VNL Finals. It was another threshold crossed only three years after the Challenger Cup promotion.

The campaign included results that showed the team’s ceiling. Türkiye swept Olympic champion France 3–0 during the opening week and remained competitive against several teams above it in the ranking. Adis Lagumdžija finished the tournament with 240 points, including 197 in attack, 24 from blocks and 19 aces. Bedirhan Bülbül contributed 41 blocks, while Efe Bayram and Gökçen Yüksel both passed 100 points.

Slovenia ended Türkiye’s first Finals appearance in the quarterfinals, winning 3–0 in Ningbo. The scoreline hides how competitive the final two sets were: Slovenia took them 35–33 and 39–37. Türkiye had reached the final stage, but the match also showed how narrow the difference becomes once the VNL is reduced to elimination volleyball.

The significance of 2026 is therefore clear even without a medal. Türkiye entered the VNL in 2024, remained near the bottom of the standings in its first two editions, and reached the quarterfinals in year three.

EuroVolley

European Championship results have been less linear than Türkiye’s recent global rise. The team’s best verified final placement is 10th at EuroVolley 2021. That result came during the same period in which Türkiye was dominating the European Golden League, but converting second-tier continental success into a deep EuroVolley run proved more difficult.

EuroVolley 2026 arrived immediately after the best VNL campaign in team history. Türkiye entered Pool D alongside Germany, France, Switzerland, Romania and Latvia and began the event at No. 10 in the world ranking.

The tournament quickly moved in the opposite direction from the VNL. Türkiye lost 1–3 to Germany and 0–3 to France, recovered with a 3–0 victory over Switzerland, then lost 1–3 to Romania and 1–3 to Latvia. A 1–4 record left the team fifth in Pool D and outside the Round of 16.

The result was especially notable because much of the group remained recognizable from the successful VNL campaign. It was not simply a case of an entirely different roster producing different results. Türkiye’s attack could still score at a high level, but reception stability, error management and the ability to sustain pressure across complete matches were less reliable.

Poland ultimately won EuroVolley and took Europe’s direct place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. France finished second, Finland took bronze, and France, Finland and Slovenia collected the three available European qualification places for the 2027 global championship because host Poland was already qualified.

Türkiye left the tournament without either of those direct rewards and with a significant ranking drop. That made EuroVolley 2026 the clearest reminder that the program’s progress remains real but unfinished.

2026 Current National Team Pool

TVF published the following 16-player senior selection on April 29 for the 2026 VNL program. It is the broadest federation-issued list for the main senior team in the 2026 cycle and is therefore distinct from the smaller rosters actually used at individual VNL weeks or at EuroVolley.

Current club affiliations reflect the latest 2026–27 destination that could be established during this profile update. Heights prioritize current Volleyball World or CEV national-team records where those sources differ from older club databases.

PlayerPositionClubHeight
Muhammed KayaSetterFenerbahçe Medicana201 cm
Murat YenipazarSetterHalkbank194 cm
Ömercan Burak KarahanSetterHalkbank194 cm
Adis LagumdžijaOppositeFenerbahçe Medicana211 cm
Berk DilmenlerOppositeAltekma203 cm
Kaan GürbüzOppositeFenerbahçe Medicana200 cm
Efe BayramOutside HitterZiraat Bankkart194 cm
Efe MandıracıOutside HitterGalatasaray206 cm
Gökçen YükselOutside HitterGalatasaray204 cm
Mirza LagumdžijaOutside HitterFenerbahçe Medicana207 cm
Ahmet Samet BaltacıMiddle BlockerHalkbank210 cm
Ahmet TümerMiddle BlockerZiraat Bankkart204 cm
Bedirhan BülbülMiddle BlockerFenerbahçe Medicana201 cm
Marko MatićMiddle BlockerFenerbahçe Medicana211 cm
Berkay BayraktarLiberoZiraat Bankkart190 cm
Beytullah HatipoğluLiberoFenerbahçe Medicana190 cm

The published April selection should not be confused with one fixed tournament roster. Türkiye adjusted personnel during the season. Hilmi Şahin, Cafer Kirkit and Abdulsamet Yalçın, for example, became part of later competition groups, while several names from the original selection were absent from the EuroVolley squad.

There are also official-source conflicts in individual biometric records. Muhammed Kaya, for example, is listed at 201 cm by Volleyball World in the 2026 VNL database while some club databases give a shorter height. The table uses the current international competition record rather than averaging conflicting values.

2026 EuroVolley Squad

Türkiye’s final EuroVolley group was an event-specific 14-player squad:

PositionPlayers
SettersMurat Yenipazar, Hilmi Şahin
OppositesAdis Lagumdžija, Kaan Gürbüz
Outside HittersEfe Bayram, Gökçen Yüksel, Cafer Kirkit, Mirza Lagumdžija
Middle BlockersAhmet Tümer, Ahmet Samet Baltacı, Marko Matić, Yunus Emre Tayaz
LiberosBerkay Bayraktar, Abdulsamet Yalçın

This squad belongs specifically to EuroVolley 2026 and does not replace the federation’s broader senior selection for the year.

Coaching Staff

RoleNameOrganization / Club
Team ManagerOrkun ÖzelTürkiye Men’s National Team
Head CoachSlobodan KovačTürkiye Men’s National Team
First Assistant CoachBurak Emre DirierTürkiye Men’s National Team
Second Assistant CoachAli Rıza MetinTürkiye Men’s National Team
Third Assistant CoachMehmet ÖzbekTürkiye Men’s National Team
Strength & Conditioning CoachZdravko AnicicTürkiye Men’s National Team
Statistic / Scout CoachSedat ŞanlıTürkiye Men’s National Team
Team DoctorYusuf ErdemTürkiye Men’s National Team
PhysiotherapistBurak YılmazTürkiye Men’s National Team
PhysiotherapistBilal AslanTürkiye Men’s National Team
MasseurAykut YılmazTürkiye Men’s National Team

Kovač inherited a team that had already made two important structural advances: VNL membership and the 2025 World Championship quarterfinal. His task has been less about rebuilding the player pool from zero than about raising the consistency of an increasingly established core.

The 2026 VNL provided the strongest evidence that the transition was working. Türkiye climbed from the bottom end of the competition to a first Finals appearance in one season under Kovač. EuroVolley then showed why the coaching cycle still has substantial work ahead of it.

Playing Identity & Team Style

Türkiye’s 2025–26 attack is most naturally understood through the relationship between Yenipazar and Adis Lagumdžija. Yenipazar provides an experienced setter and on-court organizer, while the 211 cm Lagumdžija gives Türkiye a high-volume opposite who can score from the front and back row and also create direct pressure from the service line.

The 2026 VNL numbers show how heavily Adis can influence a match. He scored 240 points across the competition — 197 in attack, 24 from blocks and 19 from serves. That workload gives Türkiye a reliable terminal option when the first contact is imperfect, but it also means opponents can increasingly structure their block-defense system around slowing the right-side attack.

The middle of the net became another important strength. Bedirhan Bülbül produced 41 block points in the 2026 VNL, an unusually large contribution from the position, while Ahmet Tümer scored efficiently when involved in transition and first-tempo offense. Ahmet Samet Baltacı and Marko Matić add further size, making the current pool unusually tall through both the middle and right side.

The outside-hitter group gives Kovač several different combinations. Efe Bayram finished the VNL with 111 points and contributed both at the net and in reception. Gökçen Yüksel, still only 22 during the 2026 season, scored 106 points and increasingly moved from depth option toward first-line responsibility. Efe Mandıracı remains one of the highest-upside serving and attacking options in the wider group, while Mirza Lagumdžija adds another 207 cm attacker.

This gives Türkiye a physical profile capable of creating pressure through attack, serve and block. The less stable part of the current identity is what happens when that pressure does not immediately produce separation. The team can still lose efficiency through service errors, unstable first contact or attacking sequences that become too predictable around the opposite.

The contrast between the VNL and EuroVolley demonstrated that point. Türkiye could sweep France during the VNL and then lose 0–3 to the same opponent at EuroVolley. The ceiling is already high enough to beat elite teams; sustaining that level through several consecutive weeks and then through an elimination bracket is the next tactical and competitive step.

Major Honors & Milestones

CompetitionBest / Major Results
FIVB World ChampionshipQuarterfinals: 2025 — first in team history
Volleyball Nations LeagueQuarterfinals: 2026 — first Finals appearance
FIVB Volleyball Challenger CupChampions: 2023; Silver: 2022
CEV European Golden LeagueChampions: 2019, 2021, 2023; Silver: 2022
CEV EuroVolleyBest verified finish: 10th in 2021
VNL PromotionChallenger Cup champion in 2023, entering VNL in 2024

Türkiye’s most important honors of the current era are therefore closely connected rather than isolated trophies. The Golden League titles established the team at the upper end of Europe’s second-tier competition. The Challenger Cup converted that level into VNL membership. VNL experience then fed into the first World Championship quarterfinal and, a year later, a first VNL Finals appearance.

Notable Current & Former Players

PlayerPositionEra / YearsNote
Arslan EkşiSetter2000s–2020sLong-time senior setter and captain; MVP of Türkiye’s first European Golden League title in 2019
Burutay SubaşıOutside Hitter2010s–2020sExperienced receiving outside and senior figure during Türkiye’s rise toward VNL level
Adis LagumdžijaOpposite2019–presentPrimary scorer of the current era; 2021 Golden League Final Four MVP and 240-point scorer in VNL 2026
Murat YenipazarSetter2010s–presentCurrent national-team captain and first-choice setter in the Kovač cycle
Bedirhan BülbülMiddle Blocker2020s–presentCentral blocker in Türkiye’s 2025 World Championship and 2026 VNL breakthroughs
Efe MandıracıOutside Hitter2020s–presentHigh-ceiling wing attacker and major contributor during the 2025 World Championship run
Efe BayramOutside Hitter2020s–presentTwo-way outside increasingly important in Türkiye’s first VNL Finals campaign
Gökçen YükselOutside Hitter2020s–presentYounger wing who moved into a larger scoring role during the 2026 season
Kaan GürbüzOpposite2020s–presentLong-term opposite option and MVP of the 2023 Golden League Final Four

Arslan Ekşi represents the most useful bridge between the previous national-team generation and the current rise. He captained Türkiye to its first Golden League title, while players such as Adis Lagumdžija, Yenipazar and later Bedirhan Bülbül carried the program through the Challenger Cup, World Championship and VNL progression.

The current generation is more distributed. Adis is the clearest scoring centerpiece, but Türkiye’s ability to sustain a top-15 or top-10 level increasingly depends on the development of several wings and middles rather than one star carrying a static lineup.

Rivalries & Key Matchups

Türkiye does not need a manufactured historical rivalry to explain the opponents that matter most in the present cycle. Several teams instead function as recurring benchmarks.

Poland is the clearest world-level reference. Poland eliminated Türkiye from the 2025 World Championship quarterfinal in straight sets and remains one of the teams Türkiye must learn to manage if it wants to move from a first quarterfinal appearance toward medal contention. Their 2026 VNL meeting also showed Türkiye could generate comparable attacking output while still giving away too much through errors.

Slovenia has become another relevant matchup. Türkiye met Slovenia in the first VNL Finals appearance and lost 3–0, but the 35–33 and 39–37 second and third sets showed how close the teams could be within individual phases. Slovenia ultimately had the cleaner finish in both extended sets.

France illustrates the volatility of Türkiye’s present level particularly well. Türkiye defeated France 3–0 in the VNL, one of the most striking wins of the 2026 preliminary round. Three months later, France reversed the matchup with a 3–0 win at EuroVolley. The two results are more informative together than either one alone: Türkiye can already overpower elite opposition, but it does not yet reproduce that level automatically from tournament to tournament.

Qualification Path & Tournament Cycle

The qualification picture after EuroVolley 2026 has two separate components: the 2027 global championship and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

For the 2027 event in Poland, 17 men’s teams had been confirmed in the latest official qualification update. Host Poland and defending world champion Italy were joined by continental qualifiers from Africa, Asia, Europe, NORCECA and South America. Because Poland was already qualified as host, France, Finland and Slovenia earned Europe’s three continental places.

Türkiye did not claim one of those three European tickets. The remaining 15 places are allocated through the FIVB World Ranking.

Türkiye’s October 1 ranking of No. 17 puts it in a strong position for that ranking route because many countries above it have already qualified through other pathways. However, the complete official 32-team men’s field had not yet been published in the latest FIVB/Volleyball World qualification update reviewed for this profile. The appropriate current status is therefore ranking-pathway position rather than a prematurely declared formal berth.

The 2027 competition also carries Olympic importance. Beginning with that edition, the former World Championship is officially named the FIVB Volleyball World Cup. At the tournament, the three highest-finishing teams that have not already qualified for LA28 will take Olympic places.

If Türkiye does not qualify there, one final route remains. After the 2028 VNL preliminary phase, the three highest-ranked eligible men’s teams still without Olympic qualification will receive the remaining quotas.

Türkiye’s path is therefore still open on two levels: first secure the 2027 ranking place formally, then use either that tournament or the post-VNL 2028 ranking to pursue the program’s Olympic breakthrough.

Current Status

Türkiye ends the 2026 national-team season with a more complicated picture than a simple upward or downward arrow would suggest.

The positive side is substantial. The team reached its first World Championship quarterfinal in 2025, then followed it with its first VNL Finals appearance in 2026. Kovač has an established captain-setter in Yenipazar, one of the competition’s heavier-scoring opposites in Adis Lagumdžija, a productive blocking core and several wing players still capable of further development.

The negative side is equally useful for understanding where the program stands. Türkiye entered EuroVolley at No. 10 in the world ranking but won only one of five pool matches, missed the Round of 16 and fell to No. 17 in the October ranking snapshot. That was too significant a swing to dismiss as one bad match.

The current level is consequently better described as competitive with the world’s stronger teams but not yet consistently established among them. Türkiye has shown that a World Championship quarterfinal and VNL quarterfinal are possible. The next stage of the Kovač cycle is to make those results repeatable enough that one difficult competition no longer changes the entire qualification picture.

The immediate targets are clear: secure the ranking-based place in the 2027 global field once the complete men’s list is formally confirmed, rebuild ranking value during the next VNL cycle, and arrive at the 2027 World Cup with a realistic path toward both another deep global run and Olympic qualification.

Recent Performance Snapshot

Competition / MetricTürkiye
2023 CEV European Golden LeagueChampions
2023 FIVB Challenger CupChampions — promoted to VNL
2024 VNLDebut season; 16th
2025 VNL17th
2025 World ChampionshipQuarterfinals — first in team history
2026 VNL Preliminary Phase6th; 8 wins, 4 losses, 22 points
2026 VNL FinalsQuarterfinals — first Finals appearance
2026 EuroVolley5th in Pool D; 1–4 record; did not reach Round of 16
FIVB Ranking, October 1, 2026No. 17 — 237.64 points
Head CoachSlobodan Kovač
CaptainMurat Yenipazar
LA28 StatusNot yet qualified
Next Global Target2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup in Poland

The sequence shows both the progress and the instability. Türkiye has produced its best-ever results in two different major competitions within 12 months, while also recording one of the sharpest tournament-to-tournament reversals of its current cycle at EuroVolley.

FAQ

Who is the head coach of Türkiye’s men’s national volleyball team?

Slobodan Kovač is the current head coach. TVF appointed him in July 2025. The former Olympic gold medalist has also coached Serbia, Slovenia and Iran at senior international level.

Who is Türkiye’s men’s national-team captain?

Setter Murat Yenipazar is the current captain. He remained the first-choice setter through the 2026 VNL and EuroVolley campaigns.

What is Türkiye’s current FIVB World Ranking?

Türkiye is No. 17 with 237.64 points in the October 1, 2026 ranking snapshot. Because the ranking changes with official international results, the live Volleyball World table should be checked for subsequent movement.

What is Türkiye’s best World Championship result?

Türkiye reached the quarterfinals in 2025 for the first time in its history. Poland eliminated the team in that round.

Has Türkiye ever reached the VNL Finals?

Yes. Türkiye qualified for the VNL Finals for the first time in 2026 after finishing sixth in the preliminary phase with an 8–4 record and 22 points. Slovenia defeated Türkiye in the quarterfinals.

How did Türkiye perform at EuroVolley 2026?

Türkiye finished fifth in Pool D with one victory and four defeats. The only win came against Switzerland, while Germany, France, Romania and Latvia defeated Türkiye. The team did not reach the Round of 16.

How did Türkiye qualify for the Volleyball Nations League?

Türkiye won the 2023 FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup in Doha, defeating Qatar 3–2 in the final. The title earned promotion to the 2024 VNL.

How many CEV European Golden League titles has Türkiye won?

Türkiye has won three men’s European Golden League titles: 2019, 2021 and 2023.

Is Türkiye qualified for the 2027 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup?

Türkiye did not take one of the three European continental places at EuroVolley 2026. Fifteen remaining men’s berths are distributed through the FIVB World Ranking. At No. 17 in the October 1 snapshot, Türkiye is strongly positioned in that pathway because several higher-ranked teams are already qualified, but the complete 32-team men’s field had not yet been formally published in the latest official update.

Is Türkiye qualified for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics?

No. Poland earned Europe’s direct LA28 men’s volleyball place by winning EuroVolley 2026. Türkiye can still qualify as one of the three highest-finishing eligible teams at the 2027 global championship or through one of the final three FIVB World Ranking places after the 2028 VNL preliminary phase.

Why is the 2027 competition called the World Cup rather than the World Championship?

FIVB is renaming the Volleyball World Championship as the FIVB Volleyball World Cup beginning in 2027. The tournament in Poland continues the World Championship lineage; it should not be confused with the older standalone FIVB World Cup competition.

References

Current national team pool

2026 Current National Team Pool

View other player profiles →
Muhammed Kaya
Setter

Muhammed Kaya

Roster entry
Murat Yenipazar
Setter

Murat Yenipazar

Roster entry
Ömercan Burak Karahan
Setter

Ömercan Burak Karahan

Roster entry
Adis Lagumdžija
Opposite

Adis Lagumdžija

Roster entry
Berk Dilmenler
Opposite

Berk Dilmenler

Roster entry
Kaan Gürbüz
Opposite

Kaan Gürbüz

Roster entry
Efe Bayram
Outside Hitter

Efe Bayram

Roster entry
Efe Mandıracı
Outside Hitter

Efe Mandıracı

Roster entry
Gökçen Yüksel
Outside Hitter

Gökçen Yüksel

Roster entry
Mirza Lagumdžija
Outside Hitter

Mirza Lagumdžija

Roster entry
Ahmet Samet Baltacı
Middle Blocker

Ahmet Samet Baltacı

Roster entry
Ahmet Tümer
Middle Blocker

Ahmet Tümer

Roster entry
Bedirhan Bülbül
Middle Blocker

Bedirhan Bülbül

Roster entry
Marko Matić
Middle Blocker

Marko Matić

Roster entry
Berkay Bayraktar
Libero

Berkay Bayraktar

Roster entry
Beytullah Hatipoğlu
Libero

Beytullah Hatipoğlu

Roster entry
National team staff

Head Coach

Slobodan Kovač

Slobodan Kovač

Coach profile not yet available
Major competitions

Tournaments

International record

Major Honours

•

FIVB World Championship

Quarterfinals: 2025 — first in team history

•

Volleyball Nations League

Quarterfinals: 2026 — first Finals appearance

2

FIVB Volleyball Challenger Cup titles

Champions: 2023; Silver: 2022

4

CEV European Golden League titles

Champions: 2019, 2021, 2023; Silver: 2022

•

CEV EuroVolley

Best verified finish: 10th in 2021

2

VNL Promotion titles

Challenger Cup champion in 2023, entering VNL in 2024

Across generations

Notable Players

Browse player profiles →
Arslan Ekşi
Setter

Arslan Ekşi

2000s–2020s

Long-time senior setter and captain; MVP of Türkiye's first European Golden League title in 2019

Notable player
Burutay Subaşı
Outside Hitter

Burutay Subaşı

2010s–2020s

Experienced receiving outside and senior figure during Türkiye's rise toward VNL level

Notable player
Adis Lagumdžija
Opposite

Adis Lagumdžija

2019–present

Primary scorer of the current era; 2021 Golden League Final Four MVP and 240-point scorer in VNL 2026

Notable player
Murat Yenipazar
Setter

Murat Yenipazar

2010s–present

Current national-team captain and first-choice setter in the Kovač cycle

Notable player
Bedirhan Bülbül
Middle Blocker

Bedirhan Bülbül

2020s–present

Central blocker in Türkiye's 2025 World Championship and 2026 VNL breakthroughs

Notable player
Efe Mandıracı
Outside Hitter

Efe Mandıracı

2020s–present

High-ceiling wing attacker and major contributor during the 2025 World Championship run

Notable player
Efe Bayram
Outside Hitter

Efe Bayram

2020s–present

Two-way outside increasingly important in Türkiye's first VNL Finals campaign

Notable player
Gökçen Yüksel
Outside Hitter

Gökçen Yüksel

2020s–present

Younger wing who moved into a larger scoring role during the 2026 season

Notable player
Kaan Gürbüz
Opposite

Kaan Gürbüz

2020s–present

Long-term opposite option and MVP of the 2023 Golden League Final Four

Notable player