Bulgaria men's national volleyball team facts for kids

The Bulgaria men's national volleyball team plays for Bulgaria in big volleyball games around the world. The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation manages the team. They are known for their strong performances and have won several medals over the years.

Quick facts for kids
Bulgaria

[[File:|180px|frameless|Flag]]
Association	Bulgarian Volleyball Federation
Confederation	CEV
Head coach	Gianlorenzo Blengini
FIVB ranking	8 (as of September 2014)
Uniforms
Home 　 Away
Summer Olympics
Appearances	8 (First in 1964)
Best result	(1980)
World Championship
Appearances	20 (First in 1949)
Best result	(1970)
FIVB World Cup
Appearances	4 (First in 1965)
Best result	(2007)
European Championship
Appearances	28 (First in 1950)
Best result	(1951)
Website	www.volleyball.bg

The Bulgaria National Team in 2014

Bulgaria Defeating Powerful Rivals Serbia in 2011

The Bulgaria National Team at the 2011 FIVB World League Defeating Asian Giants Japan

Bulgaria and Serbia Match in 2014

Team History and Achievements

The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team has a rich history. They have won many medals in major international competitions.

Major Tournament Successes

The team won the Balkan Championships in 1980. They earned second place at the World Championship in 1970. They also took third place at the World Championship in 1949, 1952, 1986, and 2006.

At the European Championships, Bulgaria finished second in 1951. They also secured third place four times: in 1955, 1981, 1983, and 2009.

A big moment for the team was winning the silver medal at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. They also achieved third place at the World Cup in 2007.

World League Journey

Bulgaria first joined the FIVB World League in 1994. In their very first season, they made it to the semi-finals. Key players like Lubo Ganev helped them achieve this.

The team continued to compete in the World League. They reached the semi-finals again in 2004 and 2006. In 2012, the Final Round was held in Sofia, Bulgaria. The home team once again reached the semi-finals.

More recently, they earned third place at the 2006 World Championship. They also got third at the 2007 World Cup. In 2009, they finished third at the European Championship. They also took second place at the first European Games in 2015.

Tournament Results Overview

Here's a look at how the Bulgarian team has performed in major tournaments.

Olympic Games Results

• 1972 Munich — 4th place
• 1980 Moscow — Silver medal
• 2012 London — 4th place

World Championship Results

• 1949 Czechoslovakia — Bronze medal
• 1952 Soviet Union — Bronze medal
• 1962 Soviet Union — 4th place
• 1970 Bulgaria — Silver medal
• 1986 France — Bronze medal
• 2006 Japan — Bronze medal
• 2010 Italy — 7th place
• 2014 Poland — 13th place
• 2018 Italy/Bulgaria — 11th place
• 2022 Poland/Slovenia — 20th place
• 2025 Philippines – Qualified

World Cup Results

• 1969 East Germany — 4th place
• 2007 Japan — Bronze medal

European Championship Results

• 1950 Bulgaria — 4th place
• 1951 France — Silver medal
• 1955 Romania — Bronze medal
• 1958 Czechoslovakia — 4th place
• 1963 Romania — 4th place
• 1981 Bulgaria — Bronze medal
• 1983 East Germany — Bronze medal
• 1995 Greece — 4th place
• 2009 Turkey — Bronze medal
• 2011 Austria/Czech Republic — 6th place
• 2013 Denmark/Poland — 4th place
• 2015 Bulgaria/Italy — 4th place
• 2017 Poland — 6th place
• 2019 France/Slovenia/Belgium/Netherlands — 11th place
• 2021 Poland/Czech Republic/Estonia/Finland — 11th place
• 2023 Italy/Bulgaria/North Macedonia/Israel — 15th place
• 2026 Bulgaria/Finland/Italy/Romania — To be determined

World League Results

• 1994 — 4th place
• 1995 — 5th place
• 1996 — 8th place
• 1997 — 6th place
• 1998 Milan — 7th place
• 2003 Madrid — 5th place
• 2004 Rome — 4th place
• 2005 Belgrade — 5th place
• 2006 Moscow — 4th place
• 2007 Katowice — 5th place
• 2008 Rio de Janeiro — 7th place
• 2009 Belgrade — 10th place
• 2010 Córdoba — 7th place
• 2011 Gdańsk — 5th place
• 2012 Sofia — 4th place
• 2013 Mar del Plata — 4th place
• 2014 Florence — 8th place
• 2015 Rio de Janeiro — 10th place
• 2016 Kraków — 11th place
• 2017 Curitiba — 9th place

Nations League Results

• 2018 Lille — 11th place
• 2019 Chicago — 12th place
• 2021 Rimini — 15th place
• 2022 Bologna — 14th place
• 2023 Gdańsk — 15th place
• 2024 Łódź — 14th place
• 2025 Ningbo — 11th place

Other Major Games

• 2015 Baku — Silver medal
• 1961 Sofia — Silver medal
• 1977 Sofia — Gold medal

Team Information

Current Players

This is the team roster for the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League. The head coach is Gianlorenzo Blengini.

Team Coaches Through the Years

Many coaches have led the Bulgarian national team. They have guided the team to its many successes. The current coach is Gianlorenzo Blengini.

Team Uniforms and Sponsors

The team's uniforms have been provided by different companies over time. From 2002 to 2019, Asics was the kit provider. From 2019 to 2025, Erreà supplied the uniforms. Starting in 2025, Zeus will be the new kit provider.

The main sponsor of the team is the Bulgarian betting company efbet. Other important sponsors include Mikasa and Lidl.

Related Teams

• Bulgaria men's team
• Bulgaria men's U19 team
• Bulgaria men's U21 team
• Bulgaria men's U23 team
• Bulgaria women's team

See also

In Spanish: Selección de voleibol de Bulgaria para niños