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Sofia Begins Countdown to EuroVolley 2026 A giant volleyball installation has been unveiled at Sveta Nedelya Square in central Sofia, officially launching the countdown to EuroVolley 2026 in the Bulgarian capital. The oversized volleyball, equipped with an integrated countdown clock, was presented in a ceremony attended by Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev and Bulgarian Volleyball Federation President Lyubomir Ganev, who symbolically started the countdown to the European Championship. Bulgaria will play its opening match of the tournament on Wednesday, September 9, at 7 p.m. at Arena 8888, taking on North Macedonia. The Bulgarian team enters the championship as the 2025 world runner-up. The unveiling was also attended by Bulgaria captain Aleks Grozdanov, head coach Gianlorenzo Blengini and assistant coach Andrey Zhekov. Terziev said the countdown clock represents more than simply the approaching start of the tournament. He wants the championship to create a sporting atmosphere throughout Sofia, rather than being confined to the arena. “This clock is counting down to the first referee’s whistle, but for us it is also counting down to the anticipation of a great sporting celebration,” Terziev said. The mayor said Sofia would welcome Europe’s leading volleyball players while the Bulgarian national team would have the advantage of playing in front of its home crowd. He added that the city wants volleyball to be visible in its squares, parks and neighborhoods and called on supporters to give the players their full backing. “We want our boys to feel that they are not alone,” Terziev said, stressing the importance of the crowd’s energy during difficult moments in matches. Ganev described EuroVolley 2026 as potentially the biggest sporting event hosted by Bulgaria. He compared its scale with the Giro d’Italia, noting that the cycling race lasted only three days, while the European volleyball championship in Sofia will run for two weeks. “Bulgaria will be volleyball, Sofia will be volleyball,” Ganev said, expressing hope that the national team can produce strong performances and keep its players healthy throughout the tournament. He said there had been major interest from municipalities, partners and supporters and that the arena is expected to be full for all of Bulgaria’s matches, with the team potentially playing seven games. Demand for tickets has already been strong. The match between Bulgaria and Poland is sold out, while around 100 tickets remain for Bulgaria’s game against Ukraine. Only five or six seats were still available for the match against Portugal, according to Ganev. He said tickets had made history by selling out at an exceptionally fast pace, with the strongest matches reaching that point within 24 hours. More than 120,000 spectators are expected to attend European Championship matches in Sofia during September. Organizers also plan to take the tournament beyond Arena 8888. Sports activities will be held in six city parks during EuroVolley 2026, while a dedicated fan zone will be established near the arena. Two additional locations around Sofia will feature special installations where supporters can gather to watch Bulgaria’s matches. The goal is to turn the capital into a citywide celebration of volleyball as Bulgaria prepares to host the European championship on home soil. Bulgaria's Nikola Tsolov Secures Formula 1 Super License Bulgarian driver Nikola Tsolov has taken a major step toward Formula 1 after successfully completing the required test in an F1 car at the legendary Imola circuit in Italy Sofia Metro to Run Until 1 a.m. for Levski–AEK Match Sofia’s metro service will operate with extended hours until 1:00 a. Stiliana Nikolova Wins Gold and Three Silver Medals at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast Stiliana Nikolova finished the 2026 World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Frankfurt with a gold medal, three silver medals and an Olympic quota place for the Los Angeles 2028 Games. CSKA Sofia Reach Europa League Playoffs on Aggregate CSKA Sofia reached the third qualifying round of the Europa League despite suffering a heavy home defeat to Maccabi Tel Aviv Bulgaria’s Viktoria Angelova Crowned World Champion in Triple Jump Bulgaria celebrates a world champion in athletics as 17-year-old Viktoria Angelova won the triple jump at the World Athletics Championships for juniors under 20 in Eugene, Oregon How Plovdiv Is Becoming Bulgaria’s Tennis Capital Bulgaria is strengthening its position as a host of international tennis events, with Plovdiv increasingly emerging as the country’s leading tennis destination