Poland men's national volleyball team facts for kids

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Poland

Nickname(s)

Biało–Czerwoni (The White and Reds)

Association

Polish Volleyball Federation

Confederation

CEV

Head coach

Nikola Grbić

FIVB ranking

5 (as of September 2014)

Uniforms




Home




Away

Summer Olympics

Appearances

11 (First in 1968)

Best result

(1976)

World Championship

Appearances

18 (First in 1949)

Best result

(1974, 2014, 2018)

FIVB World Cup

Appearances

7 (First in 1965)

Best result

(1965, 2011, 2019)

European Championship

Appearances

25 (First in 1950)

Best result

(2009, 2023)

The Poland men's national volleyball team is a group of top volleyball players who represent Poland in international competitions. They are often called Biało–Czerwoni, which means "The White and Reds" in Polish. The team is managed by the Polish Volleyball Federation.

Poland has achieved many great things in volleyball. They won a gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. They also have three World Championship titles from 1974, 2014, and 2018. The team has won the European Championship twice, in 2009 and 2023. They also won the World League in 2012 and the Nations League in 2023.

As of July 2025, Poland is considered one of the strongest volleyball teams in the world. They are ranked first in the FIVB world ranking.

Team History and Achievements

Poland's volleyball team had some of its best moments in the 1970s. They won gold medals at the 1974 World Championship and the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. They also earned five silver medals in a row at the European Championship between 1975 and 1983.

Coaching Eras and Major Wins

Raúl Lozano (2005–2008)

Poland playing against Argentina in Bydgoszcz during the 2005 World League.

In 2005, Raúl Lozano became the coach. His first official match was a 3–1 win against Argentina in the World League. In 2006, the Polish team won a silver medal at the World Championship, losing to Brazil in the final.

Daniel Castellani (2009–2010)

The 2009 European Champions after returning to Poland.

Daniel Castellani took over as head coach in 2009. That year, Poland played in the World League but finished 11th.

However, in September 2009, Poland made history at the European Championship in Turkey. They won all their matches, including a 3–0 win against Bulgaria in the semi-final. In the final, they faced France again and won 3–1, becoming European Champions for the first time ever. Two Polish players received special awards: Paweł Zagumny was named Best setter, and captain Piotr Gruszka was the Most valuable player.

Later in 2009, Poland participated in the World Grand Champions Cup in Japan, finishing 4th. The team was voted the best Polish team of 2009.

In 2010, Poland played in the World League and the World Championship. They finished 13th-18th at the World Championship. Daniel Castellani was no longer the coach after October 2010.

Andrea Anastasi (2011–2013)

Bartosz Kurek in action during the 2011 World League bronze medal match.

The Polish team on the podium with their bronze medals at the 2011 World League.

The team during the medal ceremony at the 2011 World League.

Andrea Anastasi became the new head coach in February 2011. The team started the World League 2011 as hosts of the final tournament in Gdańsk. They won their first-ever World League medal, a bronze, after beating Argentina. Bartosz Kurek was the Best scorer, and Krzysztof Ignaczak was the Best libero.

Later in 2011, Poland aimed to defend their European Championship title. They won another bronze medal at the European Championship, beating Russia. Bartosz Kurek also received an award for Best server.

In November 2011, Poland competed in the FIVB World Cup. They won 9 out of 11 matches and earned a silver medal, which also qualified them for the 2012 Summer Olympics. This was a historic year for the team, as they won three medals in one year.

World League Champions (2012)

Polish players celebrating a win during the 2012 World League.

Marcin Możdżonek, Poland's captain in 2012.

In 2012, the team's main goal was the Olympics. Before that, they played in the FIVB World League. They won 10 of 12 matches in the first round, including three wins against Brazil, which was a big achievement. Poland reached the Final Six in Sofia, Bulgaria, and won the final match against the United States 3–0. This was Poland's first-ever gold medal in the World League. Several players received individual awards, including Zbigniew Bartman (Best spiker), Marcin Możdżonek (Best blocker), Krzysztof Ignaczak (Best libero), and Bartosz Kurek (Most valuable player).

At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Poland reached the quarterfinals but lost to Russia. Despite this, Krzysztof Ignaczak was named the Best receiver of the Olympics.

Changes in 2013

Polish players thanking fans after a match in the 2013 World League.

Bartosz Kurek playing in the 2013 World League.

Andrea Anastasi, head coach from 2011–2013.

In 2013, the team had a tough time in the World League, losing their first four matches. They later won some games but did not advance far in the tournament. In October 2013, Andrea Anastasi was replaced as coach. Under his leadership, Poland had risen from 11th to 3rd in the FIVB World Rankings.

Stéphane Antiga (2014–2016)

Stephane Antiga, the head coach who led Poland to the 2014 World Championship title.

Poland during the FIVB World League 2014.

Michał Winiarski attacking during the FIVB World League 2014.

Stéphane Antiga became the new head coach in October 2013, starting his work after the 2013/2014 league season. His first big task was the CEV European Championship 2015 qualification, which Poland successfully passed.

In 2014, Poland hosted the World Championship. The opening match against Serbia was played at the National Stadium in Warsaw, with over 62,000 fans watching. Poland won 3–0. The team performed very well throughout the tournament. They won a dramatic match against Brazil and then beat Russia to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

On September 21, 2014, Poland won the World Championship title for the first time in 40 years, beating Brazil 3–1 in the final. Polish players received several individual awards: Karol Kłos was Best blocker, and Mariusz Wlazły was named Best opposite and Most valuable player. After this victory, Poland moved up to 3rd place in the FIVB ranking.

2015 Season

In 2015, Karol Kłos became the new captain. The team played in the World League 2015, qualifying for the final round in Rio de Janeiro. They finished 4th. Michał Kubiak was one of the Best outside spikers, and Paweł Zatorski was Best libero.

Poland also won the 2015 Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner tournament. In September, they competed in the World Cup 2015 in Japan. They won 10 out of 11 matches but finished 3rd, earning a bronze medal. This result did not directly qualify them for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

2016 Olympic Qualification

Poland playing against Iran during the World Olympic Qualification Tournament in 2016.

In January 2016, Poland participated in the European Olympic qualification tournament. They finished 3rd, which meant they had another chance to qualify at the World Olympic Qualification Tournament.

In May 2016, Poland secured their spot for the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics after winning 5 of their first 6 matches in the World Olympic Qualification Tournament. At the Olympics, they reached the quarterfinals but lost to the USA, finishing 5th.

Ferdinando De Giorgi (2017)

Ferdinando De Giorgi became the head coach in December 2016. His first match was a friendly against Iran in May 2017. This match was also a farewell for the famous libero Krzysztof Ignaczak, who retired from the national team.

Poland played in the 2017 FIVB World League, finishing 8th. They also won the 2017 Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner tournament. However, at the 2017 European Championships, Poland lost in the playoffs to Slovenia. Due to these results, De Giorgi's contract was ended in September 2017.

Vital Heynen (2018–2021)

In February 2018, Vital Heynen was chosen as the new head coach. He led the Polish team to victory at the FIVB Volleyball World Championship in 2018, winning gold. Under his guidance, the team also won a silver medal at the World Cup and bronze medals at the Nations League and the European Championship in 2019.

Nikola Grbić (2022–Present)

Nikola Grbić became the coach of the Poland Volleyball National Team in January 2022. In 2023, he led the team to an amazing "triple crown" by winning three major tournaments in a row: the 2023 Nations League, the 2023 European Championship, and the 2023 Volleyball Olympic Qualification Tournament.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the Poland national volleyball team won a silver medal. They lost to France in the final match. This was their first Olympic medal in 48 years, since they won gold in Montreal in 1976.

Team Statistics

Olympic Games Performance

Champions Second place Third place

Summer Olympics record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1964	Did not qualify
1968	Round robin	5th	9	6	3	18	11
1972	9th–12th places	9th	6	2	4	11	12
1976	Final	1st	6	6	0	18	9
1980	Semifinals	4th	6	3	3	12	11
1984	Boycott
1988	Did not qualify
1992	Did not qualify
1996	Preliminary round	11th	5	0	5	1	15
2000	Did not qualify
2004	Quarterfinals	5th	6	3	3	10	12
2008		5th	6	4	2	14	9
2012		5th	6	3	3	11	10
2016		5th	6	4	2	14	8
2020		5th	6	4	2	16	7
2024	Final	2nd	6	4	2	13	11
Total	1 Title	11/16	73	43	30	152	119

World Championship Performance

Champions Second place Third place

World Championship record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1949	Final group	5th	7	2	5	9	15
1952	7th–11th places	7th	7	5	2	17	6
1956	Final group	4th	10	7	3	23	11
1960	Final group	4th	10	7	3	24	14
1962	Final group	6th	11	5	6	23	19
1966	Final group	6th	10	6	4	22	18
1970	Final group	5th	11	7	4	24	21
1974	Final group	1st	11	11	0	33	10
1978	5th–8th places	8th	9	5	4	18	16
1982	5th–8th places	6th	9	5	4	17	14
1986	9th–12th places	9th	8	4	4	15	12
1990	Did not qualify
1994	Did not qualify
1998	Preliminary round	17th	3	1	2	4	6
2002	Second round	9th	6	4	2	15	10
2006	Final	2nd	11	10	1	30	6
2010	Second round	13th	5	3	2	9	9
2014	Final	1st	13	12	1	37	15
2018	Final	1st	12	9	3	32	14
2022	Final	2nd	7	6	1	19	8
2025	Qualified
2027	Future event
Total	3 Titles	19/21	160	109	51	371	224

World Cup Performance

Champions Second place Third place

World Cup record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1965	Final group	2nd	7	6	1	20	9
1969	7th–11th places	8th	6	3	3	12	9
1977	Final group	4th	8	6	2	18	13
1981	Round robin	4th	7	4	3	14	13
1985	Did not qualify
1989
1991
1995
1999
2003
2007
2011	Round robin	2nd	11	8	3	30	15
2015	Round robin	3rd	11	10	1	31	11
2019	Round robin	2nd	11	9	2	30	9
Total		7/14	61	46	15	155	79

World Grand Champions Cup Performance

Champions Second place Third place

World Grand Champions Cup record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1993	Did not qualify
1997
2001
2005
2009	Round robin	4th	5	2	3	9	10
2013	Did not qualify
2017	Did not qualify
Total		1/7	5	2	3	9	10

World League Performance

Champions Second place Third place

World League record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1990	Did not participate
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998	Intercontinental round	10th	12	3	9	12	33
1999	Intercontinental round	8th	12	5	7	21	25
2000	Intercontinental round	8th	12	5	7	21	24
2001	Final round	7th	15	8	7	29	30
2002	Final round	5th	15	9	6	32	27
2003	Intercontinental round	9th	12	6	6	24	21
2004	Intercontinental round	7th	12	6	6	22	24
2005	Semifinals	4th	15	10	5	39	27
2006	Intercontinental round	7th	12	9	3	31	19
2007	Semifinals	4th	16	14	2	44	19
2008	Final round	5th	14	9	5	34	23
2009	Intercontinental round	9th	12	5	7	18	26
2010	Intercontinental round	10th	12	6	6	24	24
2011	Semifinals	3rd	17	9	8	31	29
2012	Final	1st	16	14	2	45	15
2013	Intercontinental round	11th	10	4	6	21	24
2014	Intercontinental round	8th	12	6	6	21	23
2015	Semifinals	4th	16	9	7	37	33
2016	Final round	5th	11	4	7	15	27
2017	Intercontinental round	8th	9	4	5	17	19
Total	1 Title	20/28	262	145	117	538	492

Nations League Performance

Champions Second place Third place

Nations League record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
2018	Final round	5th	17	10	7	33	25
2019	Semifinals	3rd	19	14	5	48	31
2021	Final	2nd	17	13	4	43	14
2022	Semifinals	3rd	15	12	3	39	15
2023	Final	1st	15	13	2	39	21
2024	Semifinals	3rd	15	12	3	39	14
2025	in progress
Total	1 Title	7/7	98	74	24	241	120

European Championship Performance

Champions Second place Third place

European Championship record
Year	Round	Position	GP	MW	ML	SW	SL
1948	Did not participate
1950	Round robin	6th	5	0	5	3	15
1951	Did not participate
1955	Final group	6th	9	4	5	17	19
1958	Final group	6th	11	7	4	25	15
1963	Final group	6th	9	5	4	18	16
1967	Final group	3rd	10	7	3	25	13
1971	Final group	6th	8	3	5	14	16
1975	Final group	2nd	7	5	2	17	9
1977	Final	2nd	7	5	2	18	9
1979	Final group	2nd	7	6	1	18	8
1981	Final group	2nd	7	6	1	18	5
1983	Final group	2nd	7	6	1	19	9
1985	Final group	4th	7	4	3	14	11
1987	Did not qualify
1989	5th–8th places	7th	7	4	3	15	11
1991	5th–8th places	7th	7	4	3	14	15
1993	5th–8th places	7th	7	3	4	14	14
1995	5th–8th places	6th	7	3	4	10	12
1997	Did not qualify
1999	Did not qualify
2001	5th–8th places	5th	7	5	2	15	13
2003	5th–8th places	5th	7	4	3	17	12
2005	Preliminary round	5th	5	3	2	10	7
2007	Second round	11th	6	1	5	8	16
2009	Final	1st	8	8	0	24	7
2011	Semifinals	3rd	7	4	3	14	12
2013	Playoffs	9th	4	2	2	9	8
2015	Quarterfinals	5th	4	3	1	11	4
2017	Playoffs	10th	4	2	2	6	6
2019	Semifinals	3rd	9	8	1	25	4
2021	Semifinals	3rd	9	8	1	25	7
2023	Final	1st	9	9	0	27	4
2026		Qualified
Total	2 Titles	27/32	192	121	71	425	290

Other Tournament Results

European League 2014 – 6th place
European League 2015 – Bronze medal
European Games 2015 – 4th place
World University Games 2013 – Silver medal
World University Games 2019 – Silver medal
World University Games 2021 – Silver medal

Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial

The Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner is a special volleyball tournament held in Poland. Poland has won many medals in this competition:

2003 Olsztyn – Silver medal
2004 Olsztyn – Silver medal
2005 Olsztyn/Iława – Silver medal
2006 Ostróda/Iława/Olsztyn – Gold medal
2007 Olsztyn/Elbląg/Ostróda – Bronze medal
2008 Olsztyn – Gold medal
2009 Łódź – Gold medal
2010 Bydgoszcz – Bronze medal
2011 Katowice – 4th place
2012 Zielona Góra – Gold medal
2013 Płock – Gold medal
2014 Kraków – Silver medal
2015 Toruń – Gold medal
2016 Kraków – Bronze medal
2017 Kraków – Gold medal
2018 Kraków – Gold medal
2019 Kraków – Silver medal
2021 Kraków – Gold medal
2022 Kraków – Gold medal
2023 Kraków – Bronze medal
2024 Kraków – Gold medal
2025 Kraków – TBD

Team Roster

Current Squad (2024 Olympic Games)

This is the team that represented Poland at the 2024 Olympic Games.

Head coach: Nikola Grbić
Captain: Bartosz Kurek

No.	Name	Date of birth	Height	Weight	Spike	Block	2024–25 club
5	Kaczmarek, ŁukaszŁukasz Kaczmarek	(1994-06-29)29 June 1994	2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Jastrzębski Węgiel
6	Kurek, BartoszBartosz Kurek	(1988-08-29)29 August 1988	2.07 m (6 ft 9 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
9	León, WilfredoWilfredo León	(1993-07-31)31 July 1993	2.02 m (6 ft 8 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Bogdanka LUK Lublin
11	Śliwka, AleksanderAleksander Śliwka	(1995-05-24)24 May 1995	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Suntory Sunbirds
12	Łomacz, GrzegorzGrzegorz Łomacz	(1987-10-01)1 October 1987	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	PGE Skra Bełchatów
15	Kochanowski, JakubJakub Kochanowski	(1997-07-17)17 July 1997	1.99 m (6 ft 6 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Projekt Warsaw
16	Semeniuk, KamilKamil Semeniuk	(1996-07-16)16 July 1996	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Sir Safety Perugia
17	Zatorski, PawełPaweł Zatorski	(1990-06-21)21 June 1990	1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Asseco Resovia
19	Janusz, MarcinMarcin Janusz	(1994-07-31)31 July 1994	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	ZAKSA Kędzierzyn-Koźle
20	Bieniek, MateuszMateusz Bieniek	(1994-04-05)5 April 1994	2.10 m (6 ft 11 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Warta Zawiercie
21	Fornal, TomaszTomasz Fornal	(1997-08-31)31 August 1997	1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Jastrzębski Węgiel
30	Bołądź, BartłomiejBartłomiej Bołądź (A)	(1994-09-28)28 September 1994	2.03 m (6 ft 8 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Projekt Warsaw
99	Norbert Huber	(1998-08-14)14 August 1998	2.04 m (6 ft 8 in)	0 kg (0 lb)	0 cm (0 in)	0 cm (0 in)	Jastrzębski Węgiel

Head Coaches Through the Years

1948–1949 – Romuald Wirszyłło 1949–1952 – Zygmunt Kraus 1952–1953 – Wiesław Piotrowski 1953–1954 – Zygmunt Kraus 1954–1956 – Leonard Michniewski 1956–1958 – Jacek Busz 1958–1959 – Józef Śliwka 1959–1964 – Gwidon Grochowski 1964–1966 – Zygmunt Kraus 1966–1973 – Tadeusz Szlagor 1973–1976 – Hubert Wagner 1976–1979 – Jerzy Welcz 1979–1983 – Aleksander Skiba 1983–1986 – Hubert Wagner 1986–1988 – Stanisław Gościniak 1988–1990 – Leszek Milewski 1990–1992 – Edward Skorek 1992–1993 – Zbigniew Zarzycki 1993–1994 – Ryszard Kruk 1994–1996 – Wiktor Krebok 1996–1998 – Hubert Wagner 1998–2000 – Ireneusz Mazur 2000–2001 – Ryszard Bosek 2001–2003 – Waldemar Wspaniały 2003–2004 – Stanisław Gościniak 2005–2008 – Raúl Lozano 2009–2010 – Daniel Castellani 2011–2013 – Andrea Anastasi 2014–2016 – Stéphane Antiga 2017–2017 – Ferdinando De Giorgi 2018–2021 – Vital Heynen 2022–present – Nikola Grbić

Media and Documentaries

Łukasz Kadziewicz, a former player, started a project called Kadziu Project. He filmed videos showing how the team prepared for matches and their life during tournaments. After he retired, Krzysztof Ignaczak continued this idea with Igłą Szyte, making videos and writing a blog.

In 2014, a documentary film called Drużyna (meaning "The Team") was released. It showed the Polish volleyball team's journey in 2013, including their training and daily life. The film ended with the new coach, Stephane Antiga, taking over the team.

Team Sponsors and Kit Providers

The team has had different kit providers over the years:

Period	Kit provider
until 1996	Adidas
1997–1999	Nike
2000–2002	Adidas
2003–2008	Asics
2008–2024	Adidas
2025–present	4F

The team also has important sponsors like PKN Orlen and Plus. Other sponsors include Adidas, Okocim Brewery, Deloitte, Kinder +Sport, Dynamic Parcel Distribution, Jurajska, and SMJ sport.