The FIVB’s premier annual men’s tournament has been
reshaped and reinvented for an exciting 2013 edition.
The 24th
FIVB World League, which offers $5.7m in prize money, sees the
competition increase from 16 to 18 teams split into three pools of six.
It is the first time the World League will feature 18 teams, having had
16 teams from 2001-2003 and 2006-2012. The World League featured eight
teams in its inaugural year in 1990, 10 in 1991 and then 12 from
1992-2000 and 2004-05.
Defending champions Poland, will play
Olympic silver medallists and nine-time World League champions Brazil,
last year's runners up USA, and 2012 World League and Olympic Games
fourth-placed team Bulgaria along with Argentina and France in Pool A.
The second pool features Olympic champions Russia, eight-time
World League winners Italy, last year’s World League bronze medallists
Cuba, Serbia, Germany and World League debutants Iran.
2013 World League Pools
Pool A: Brazil (WR1), Poland (WR4),
USA (WR5), Bulgaria (WR8), Argentina (WR9) and France (WR16)
Pool B:
Russia (WR2), Italy (WR3), Cuba (WR6), Serbia (WR7), Germany (WR10),
Iran (WR14)
Pool C: Canada (WR18), Korea (WR22), Finland (WR31), the
Netherlands (WR41), Japan (WR19), Portugal (WR36)
Pools A and B
were determined using the serpentine system based on the world rankings
as of August 13, 2012. Pool C features teams ranked as the next best
four in the world rankings after the 12 teams in Pool A and B in
addition to Japan and Portugal who were confirmed by the FIVB Executive
Committee during its year-end meeting in December 2012.
The top
three world ranked teams in each pool play three matches at home and two
away with the bottom three world ranked teams playing twice at home and
three times away. The customary World League format of two teams playing
twice over the course of a weekend returns after the 2012 edition
experienced change due to the congested pre-Olympic Games calendar.
The Intercontinental Round runs from May 31 until July 14 before the
Finals take place in Mar del Plata, Argentina from July 17-21. The
Finals will feature the top two teams from Pools A and B, the winners of
Pool C and the host nation.
At the Finals in Sofia in 2012,
the Poland team led by coach Andrea Anastasi, picked up their first ever
World League title after overcoming USA 3-0 in the final. Cuba collected
the bronze medal, their first since 2005, while hosts Bulgaria were also
on impressive form as they finished fourth.