The return of the Russian women's national volleyball team to the world stage has led to a new serious dispute between the organizers of the 2027 World Cup. According to the President of the Polish Volleyball Federation, Sebastian Swiderski, Canada - which is co-host of next year's World Cup - has officially objected to the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) to Russian players playing games on its territory.
This development means that the Russian team will most likely have to play all of its matches in the tournament on US soil. The information was also confirmed by the authoritative Polish publication WP SportoweFakty, although there is currently no official statement from Volleyball Canada or the FIVB, and the Canadian media remains silent on the matter.
On October 5, the FIVB officially confirmed the participation of the Russian women's team in the 2027 World Cup based on their position in the world rankings, putting an end to the country's long isolation from major international forums.
The World Cup is scheduled to be held from August 20 to September 5, 2027, in a total of five cities:
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In the USA: Anaheim, Omaha and Orlando.
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In Canada: Montreal and Quebec.
Canadian cities are to host matches from the group stage and the round of 16, while the final decisive phase will take place entirely in the USA.
The future distribution of the groups and the exact locations where the Russian volleyball players will take to the court are yet to be finally clear during the official draw, which will be held in December. Until then, the issue of Russia's participation on Canadian soil remains among the main diplomatic topics in the volleyball world.