---
title: "Ukraine learns its playoff opponent at the 2026 Volleyball Euro: who and when they will play"
description: "The Ukrainian men's volleyball team finished second in its group at Euro 2026 and will play Romania in the round of 16 on 20 September at 16:00 Kyiv time. All four head-to-head matches favor the Ukrainians."
date: 2026-09-17T06:38:00.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ukraine-volleyball-euro-2026-playoff-opponent
tags: [volleyball, euro-2026, ukraine, romania, poland, national-team]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Ukraine learns its playoff opponent at the 2026 Volleyball Euro: who and when they will play

![Ukraine national volleyball team players discuss tactics on the court ahead of the Euro 2026 playoff match](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/17/ukraina-voleibol-euro-2026-soopernik-v-pley-off/ukraina-voleibol-euro-2026-soopernik-v-pley-off-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- Ukraine won 4 of 5 matches and finished second in its group at the 2026 Volleyball Euro.
- Romania will be Ukraine's opponent in the round of 16; the match is on 20 September at 16:00 Kyiv time.
- Ukraine won all four previous head-to-head matches against Romania with a score of 3:1.
- The second-place finish avoided Poland and Italy until the final and the semifinal, respectively.

The Ukrainian men's volleyball team has concluded its run in the group stage of the 2026 European Championship and its playoff route is now set. Thanks to a favorable outcome in the parallel matches, the "blue and yellows" landed in a comfortable section of the tournament bracket and avoided early clashes with the main favorites.

### Group stage results

The Ukrainian side won four of its five matches and finished second in its pool of six. The team coached by Raul Losano delivered consistent performances throughout the group stage, which kept them in the hunt for a high finish right up to the final round.

### The fate of second place

The final distribution of positions was decided in the last encounter between Poland and Bulgaria. To hold onto second place, Ukraine needed the Bulgarians not to win the match in three or four sets. When the game went to a tiebreak, the Ukrainian team secured second place, while Poland took first.

### Opponent in the round of 16

In the first round of the playoffs, Ukraine will face Romania, who finished third in Group D. The head-to-head record favors the Ukrainians: all four previous meetings against the Romanians ended in a "blue and yellow" win with the same score of 3:1, which provides extra psychological comfort ahead of the match.

### Tournament bracket and prospects

The second-place finish allowed the Ukrainian team to avoid meeting the tournament's main favorites — Poland and Italy — until the final and the semifinal, respectively. Should they reach the quarterfinals, Ukraine's potential opponent will be the winner of the France — Portugal tie.

### Schedule

The round-of-16 match Ukraine — Romania will take place on Sunday, 20 September, at 16:00 Kyiv time. This will be the first step on the path to the continent's main trophy for Raul Losano's charges.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Ukraine learns its playoff opponent at the 2026 Volleyball Euro: who and when they will play](https://sport.rbc.ua/ukr/othersport/ukrayina-diznalasya-supernika-pley-off-voleybolnogo-1789626817.html) - Подтверждены: 4 победы в 5 матчах, 2-е место в группе, исход матча Польша–Болгария в тайбрейк, соперник Румыния (3-е место в группе D), серия 4 победы 3:1 в очных встречах, дата и время матча 1/8 финала — 20.09.2026, 16:00 киевское время, тренер Рауль Лосано.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who will be Ukraine's opponent in the round of 16 of the 2026 Volleyball Euro?
**A:** The Romanian team, which finished third in Group D. The match will take place on 20 September at 16:00 Kyiv time.

### Q: How did Ukraine avoid early matches against the favorites?
**A:** By finishing second in its group, the Ukrainians will not meet Poland until the final and Italy until the semifinal.

### Q: What is the head-to-head record between Ukraine and Romania?
**A:** All four previous meetings ended in a Ukrainian win with a score of 3:1.