TEHRAN - The 2026 Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship—doubling as the opening qualification stage for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games—is set to begin on Friday, September 4, in Japan.
The ten-day tournament features 12 national teams divided into three pools competing through September 13. Iran has been drawn into Pool B alongside China, India, and New Zealand.
The preliminary round opens on Friday, September 4, with Iran facing New Zealand in its opening match at 07:00 IRST. South Korea will play Chinese Taipei at 10:30 IRST, followed by host nation Japan taking on Oman at 14:00 IRST.
Action continues on Saturday, September 5, featuring Australia against Bahrain at 04:30 IRST, China facing India at 08:00 IRST, and Qatar meeting Thailand at 11:30 IRST.
Iran returns to the court on Sunday, September 6, to play India at 04:30 IRST, while Qatar faces Chinese Taipei at 08:00 IRST and Japan takes on Bahrain at 14:00 IRST.
Monday’s slate on September 7 includes Oman against Australia at 04:30 IRST, New Zealand against China at 08:00 IRST, and Thailand taking on South Korea at 11:30 IRST.
On Tuesday, September 8, India plays New Zealand at 04:30 IRST, Qatar meets South Korea at 08:00 IRST, and Japan faces Australia at 14:00 IRST.
The preliminary round concludes on Wednesday, September 9, as Bahrain plays Oman at 04:30 IRST, Chinese Taipei meets Thailand at 08:00 IRST, and Iran clashes with China in a high-stakes fixture at 11:30 IRST.
At the conclusion of the pool stage, the top two teams from each group will advance directly to the quarter-finals, joined by the two best third-placed teams across all pools. Standings for the remaining quarter-final spots will be determined by match wins, total points, set ratio, point ratio, and head-to-head results.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for September 10 and 11, followed by the semi-finals on September 12. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, September 13, with the third-place match and the final, where the champion will secure direct qualification for LA 2028.