Trento, 28 May 2025

Champions League: 2026 Edition DOL Set for Tuesday, July 15 in Luxembourg

The first official event of the 2026 CEV Champions League will take place on Tuesday, July 15. On that day, starting at 12:00 PM, the European Volleyball Confederation (CEV) will conduct the draw for the initial qualifying rounds and the five pools of the Main Phase at the European Broadcasting Centre in Luxembourg.
The draw is particularly significant for Trentino Volley, which will be making its 14th appearance in the competition after a one-year hiatus. As the winners of the 2025 Italian Championship (Scudetto), the club from via del Brennero will begin its European campaign directly in the group stage. In the "Drawing of Lots," Trentino Volley will be seeded in the first pot.
On July 15, the yellow-blues will find out which pool they’ll play in and at least two of the three opponents they'll face. By that date, 17 other teams will already be confirmed, while the last two will qualify through the preliminary rounds that conclude by November 27.
The tournament format remains unchanged from the previous edition: the five pool winners will advance directly to the quarterfinals. The five runners-up and the best third-placed team will compete in the Round of 12 (referred to simply as "Playoffs"). The knockout stage will follow a two-leg format: the first leg hosted by the lower-ranked team, and the second leg by the higher-ranked team. The competition will then move to single matches for the semifinals and final, held in a Final Four weekend at a venue yet to be announced.

Tentative Schedule of the 2026 CEV Champions League:
July 15, 2025: Draw in Luxembourg
October 18 – November 27, 2025: Preliminary Rounds
December 9–11, 2025: Main Phase Matchday 1
January 6–8, 2026: Matchday 2
January 20–22, 2026: Matchday 3
January 27–29, 2026: Matchday 4
February 10–12, 2026: Matchday 5
February 18, 2026: Matchday 6
March 3–5, 2026: Round of 12 – First Leg
March 10–12, 2026: Round of 12 – Second Leg
March 24–26, 2026: Quarterfinals – First Leg
March 31 – April 2, 2026: Quarterfinals – Second Leg
May 16–17, 2026: Final Four (venue TBA)

The July 15 draw will be streamed live on the CEV’s official channels.

Trentino Volley Srl
Press Office