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Laman Ismayilova

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Baku is getting ready for another week of top-level women's volleyball. The 2026 CEV Women's Volleyball European Championship begins today, August 21, with Baku hosting Pool C of the tournament.

National Gymnastics Arena is opening its doors to six national teams in Pool C: Azerbaijan, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania and Spain.

The first match for the hosts is against Portugal tonight. It is the beginning of a tournament that will keep European volleyball in Baku for eight days, with 15 matches scheduled at the arena between August 21 and 28.

For Azerbaijan, there is a sense of familiarity about the occasion. The European Championship was last played in Baku in 2017, when the city hosted the later stages of the tournament and the national team produced one of the finest performances in its history.

That campaign is still remembered by Azerbaijani volleyball fans. Azerbaijan won all three of its pool matches and then beat Germany in the quarter-finals. The semi-final against the Netherlands was a five-set contest that went down to the final points. The Dutch eventually won 15-12 in the deciding set. Azerbaijan later lost to Turkiye in the bronze-medal match and finished fourth.

Fourth place remains Azerbaijan's joint-best result at the Women's European Championship, alongside the finish achieved in 2005.

The 2017 tournament also gave Baku one of its most memorable volleyball nights. The final was played at the National Gymnastics Arena, where Serbia defeated the Netherlands 3-1 to become European champions. For Azerbaijan, the tournament ended without a medal, but the performance of the national team established a standard that has remained difficult to match.

Nine years on, the European Championship is returning to the same venue, although the tournament itself has changed. The 2026 edition is being shared by four countries — Azerbaijan, Turkiye, Czechia and Sweden. Twenty-four teams are taking part, with 76 matches scheduled from August 21 to September 6.

Baku has been given Pool C. Istanbul is hosting Pool A and the final stages, Brno is home to Pool B, while Gothenburg hosts Pool D. For the Azerbaijani capital, this means a full week of international volleyball without the demands of hosting the entire championship.

The group itself should provide plenty of interest. The Netherlands are the biggest name and arrive with a strong record in recent European competitions. They won bronze at EuroVolley 2023 and remain one of the teams expected to challenge near the top of the tournament.

Their presence also adds a personal connection to Baku. The Dutch were the team that stopped Azerbaijan from reaching the 2017 final. This time, the two sides will meet again, with the Netherlands scheduled to be Azerbaijan's final opponent in the group stage.

Belgium brings its own experience, while Romania and Spain have been regular participants at European Championship level. Portugal, Azerbaijan's opening opponent, will have its own ambitions in Baku, making the opening match an important test for both sides.

With four of the six teams advancing from the group, Azerbaijan does not have to finish first. But the margin for mistakes is still small. A good opening match against Portugal could make the rest of the week considerably easier.

Azerbaijan knows from 2017 that playing a major tournament in Baku can change the atmosphere around the national team. The National Gymnastics Arena was packed for some of the most important matches of that championship, and the support helped create an environment in which the hosts were able to compete with some of Europe's strongest sides.

The current team is different. A younger generation has taken on more responsibility, while Polina Rahimova is preparing for what is expected to be her final European Championship with the national team. CEV has described the 2026 tournament as the end of Rahimova's EuroVolley journey.

For a player who has been one of the most recognisable names in Azerbaijani volleyball for many years, finishing that journey in front of the home crowd is fitting. Her experience will be particularly valuable in a squad that does not have the same depth of international experience as some of its opponents.

There is no guarantee that home advantage will produce another semi-final run. The level of competition has changed, and the Netherlands, Belgium and the other teams in the group will arrive with their own ambitions.

But there is something Azerbaijan can control: the start. Portugal is the first test. After that come the other group matches, each carrying its own importance. By the time the Netherlands arrive for the final game, the qualification picture could already be clear or everything could still be open.

Hosting European Championship volleyball puts the city in the centre of the sport for more than a single evening. Six national teams will spend the week in Baku, alongside coaches, officials, journalists and travelling supporters. The National Gymnastics Arena will host match after match, giving local fans the chance to see different European teams and styles of play in one place.

It is also an opportunity for younger Azerbaijani players. Watching a European Championship from the stands is one thing; seeing it played in your own city, with your national team on the court, is another. Major tournaments can leave an impression long after the final match has finished.

Baku has already shown that it can handle this level of competition. The return of EuroVolley to the National Gymnastics Arena is, in part, a recognition of that experience.

There is also a wider European context. Women's volleyball has developed into one of the continent's biggest indoor sports, with countries such as Turkiye, Serbia, Italy, Poland and the Netherlands regularly attracting large crowds and producing world-class players. Azerbaijan has been part of that scene for years, both through its national team and its club sides.

The 2026 championship gives the country another chance to stay visible in that conversation.

For the supporters arriving at the arena today, though, the wider picture will matter less once the first whistle goes.