The FIVB has revealed the prize money earned by the men's national teams at the 2026 Volleyball Nations League, with champions Poland taking home a tournament-high $1,103,500.
Poland, who defeated the United States 3-2 in the final in Ningbo to claim a third VNL crown, collected $1 million for winning the eight-team Finals and added the remainder during the group phase, where every victory was worth $9,500 and every defeat $4,250.
The United States finished second in the prize money standings with $593,000 — the $500,000 runners-up prize plus their preliminary-round earnings — ahead of bronze medallists Slovenia ($403,500) and Japan ($294,000). Japan were the highest earners of the group stage, winning all 12 of their matches for $114,000 before bowing out in the semi-finals.
Italy ranked fifth in the standings with $223,000, one spot ahead of Turkey ($178,000), with Ukraine ($152,750) and China ($96,250) completing the top eight. Bulgaria and Brazil rounded out the top 10 with $87,750 each.
The final-phase payouts were distributed strictly by placing: Poland received $1 million, the United States $500,000, Slovenia $300,000, Japan $180,000, Italy $130,000, Turkey $85,000, Ukraine $65,000 and China $40,000. Combined with the per-match fees from the preliminary round, the numbers underline how lucrative the Nations League format has become for national federations, with every team in the top 10 earning at least $87,750 for its summer campaign.
The 2026 edition confirmed Poland's dominance in world volleyball: the defending champions beat the United States at the tie-break in the final held in Ningbo, with outside hitter Fornal named MVP of the tournament.
Sources
- https://www.ivolleymagazine.it/2026/08/03/pallavolo-vnl-m-il-montepremi-guadagnato-dalle-prime-10-classificate-polonia-1milione103mila-italia-223mila/
