The Serbia men's national volleyball team represents Serbia in international men's volleyball. FIVB and the CEV consider Serbia the inheritor of the records of SFR Yugoslavia (1948–1991) and Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006). Serbia won gold at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia and bronze at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
The Yugoslav Olympic Committee declared the national volleyball team to be the best male team of the year in 2000, and the Olympic Committee of Serbia did the same in 2010 and 2013.
History Serbia's most proud moment came at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when under the name Yugoslavia it won Olympic gold. A heavy favourite was team Italy, who won the last three World Championships and the European title in 1995 and 1999, but they had yet to win an Olympic gold medal. They swept through Group B undefeated and won their quarter-final match over Australia. In the semifinals, Serbia & Montenegro (Yugoslavia), runners-up at the 1998 Worlds, and bronze medalists at the 1999 Europeans, triumphed in straight sets, again denying Italy an Olympic gold medal. Serbia & Montenegro had struggled in the pools, finishing only third behind Italy and Russia, but they defeated Russia in straight sets in the final to win the gold medal. As in 1996, all medalists came from the same pool, this time Group B.Volleyball at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's Volleyball
Volleyball was brought to Serbia by g. William Viland, a professor of folklore and folk sports from Oakland, California, when the Red Cross held a series of lectures and demonstrations of American sports in Belgrade and Novi Sad. It is believed that his arrival marked the beginning of volleyball in this area, and in 1924 is considered the year when the first volleyball ball came to Serbia. During the period of occupation, between 1941 and 1944, volleyball was played very actively, numerous competitions were held, and more sports clubs/society's had established its volleyball section.
The Serbian/Yugoslav Volleyball Federation was founded in 1946 by the Alliance for Physical Education of Yugoslavia. A year later, in 1947, the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) was founded and the former Yugoslavia was one of the 14 founders. From 13 February 1949, the Volleyball Federation became an independent sports organization. Two years later, at the European Championships held in Paris, the women's volleyball team of Yugoslavia won the bronze medal for the first time. This success was repeated with the men's event in 1975, when Serbia for the first time in history hosted the biggest European competition, both the men's and women's events. The Serbian team in the last match of the final group defeated Bulgaria in the crowded hall of "Pioneer" in Belgrade and won the bronze medal.
2011 – 2019
In 2011 Serbia became European champion and in 2016 the champion of FIVB World League for the first time, with Marko Ivović being crowned MVP of the tournament and Srećko Lisinac being chosen as the Best Middle Blocker.
2019 – 2021
After two bronze medal 2013 and 2017, Serbia become European champion again in 2019 with Uroš Kovačević being crowned MVP of the tournament.
Medals EventGoldSilverBronzeTotal Olympic Games 1 0 1 2 World Championship 0 1 1 2 World Cup 0 0 1 1 World Grand Champions Cup 0 0 1 1 World League 1 5 3 9 European Championship 3 1 8 12 Mediterranean Games 5 1 1 7 Total 10 8 16 34
Results
Olympic Games
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place GamesRoundPosition1964 to 1988part of Yugoslavia 1992 Barcelona suspended 1996 AtlantaSemifinals3rd 8531614Squad 2000 SydneyFinal1st 8622111Squad 2004 AthensQuarterfinals5th642139Squadas Serbia 2007– 2008 BeijingQuarterfinals5th6241113Squad 2012 LondonPreliminary round9th514713Squad 2016 Rio de Janeirodid not qualify 2020 Tokyo 2024 ParisPreliminary round9th31258Squad 2028 Los Angeles Future event 2032 BrisbaneTotal6/91 Title—
World Championship
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place GamesRoundPosition1949 to 1990part of Yugoslavia 1994suspended 1998Final2nd 121023110Squad 2002Semifinals4th972228Squad 2006Semifinals4th11832613Squadas Serbia 2007– 2010Semifinals3rd 9632213Squad 2014Second round9th9541815Squad 2018Semifinals4th12752421Squad 2022Round of 169th43193Squad 2025Round of 1610th42286Squad 2027Qualified 2029Future eventTotal8/90 Title(s)70482216089—
World Cup
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place YearRankPldWLSWSL1965 to 1991part of Yugoslavia 1995did not qualify 1999 20033rd place 11922910 2007did not qualify 20118th place11562023 2015did not qualify 2019Total3/82917125946
Squads 2003 Japan – Bronze medal Marić, Janić, Boškan, Mijić, N. Grbić (), V. Grbić, Bjelica, Gerić, Vujević, Miljković, Ilić, Vusurović. Head coach: Travica
World Grand Champions Cup
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place YearRankPldWLSWSL 1993 suspended 1997did not qualify 20013rd place 53297 2005did not qualify 2009 2013 2017Total1/753297 2001 – Bronze medal Jokanović, Majdak, Škorić, Boškan, Mijić, N. Grbić (), V. Grbić, Gerić, Vujević, Miljković, Vusurović. Head coach: Gajić
World League
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place YearRankPldWLSWSL 1990part of Yugoslavia 1991 1992suspended 1993 1994 1995did not enter 1996 19977th place12842915 19986th place144102332 1999withdrew 20004th place181264326 20014th place171163923 20023rd place 171164224 20032nd place 171254424 20043rd place 151143720 20052nd place 15873131 20065th place151053226as Serbia 2007– 20079th place12752418 20082nd place 161063924 20092nd place 161153825 20103rd place 161154026 20119th place12752621 20129th place12662724 20138th place10552222 20147th place12752420 20152nd place 16973832 20161st place 131033417 20175th place11652420Total21/28286176110656470
Squads
2015 Rio de Janeiro – Silver medal Kovačević N., Kovačević U., Ivović, Petrić, Kostić, Stanković (), Jovović, Atanasijević, Starović, Majstorović, Podraščanin, Rosić, Lisinac, Okolić. Head coach: Grbić 2016 Kraków – Gold medal Okolić, Kovačević, Katić, Stanković (), Ivović, Jovović, Nikić, Dokić, Luburić, Brđović, Majstorović, Podraščanin, Rosić, Lisinac. Head coach: Grbić
Nations League
YearRank 20185th place1711633301404 1408 201911th place156928361393 1417 20216th place1510535271419 1341 202211th place125719271010 1043 20239th place126623231045 1056 202410th place1257232610511094 202516th place123915299261038 2026 12th place 12 5 7 19 25 961 1037 2027 qualified Total 9/9 —
Record by opponent FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League matches (by team)Opponent1.00011030Max1.000220616.0001.0006601836.0001.000110313.0001.0004401252.4001.000330942.2501.000110321.500.8336511791.889.8005411262.000.7504311081.250.667321651.200.50063311140.786.37583516180.889.37583513190.684.33362411120.917.333312680.750.2867259170.529.1676158160.500.1676153160.188.1437168190.421.1437166200.300.1437165200.250Total (22 teams)107^5156195223 ^All statistics current through the end of 2026 edition.
European Championship
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place YearRoundPosition1948 to 1991part of Yugoslavia 1993 suspended 1995Semifinals752167 1997Final752167 1999Semifinals532118 2001Final761206 2003Semifinals4th7431711 2005Semifinals761206as Serbia 2007– 2007Semifinals8531813 2009Second Round5th642158 2011Final660185 2013Semifinals752179 2015Quarterfinals7th5321110 2017Semifinals651177 2019Final990276 2021Semifinals 4th 9 6 3 2115 2023Quarterfinals 6th7 5 2 16 8 2026Round of 16 13th6 3 3 9 14 2028To be determinedTotal3 Titles 17/191098029269140
Squads
1995 – Bronze medal Boškan, Brđović, Đurić, Gerić, N. Grbić, V. Grbić, Jokanović, Kovač, Mešter, Petrović, Tanasković, Vujević. Head Coach: Gajić 1997 – Silver medal Batez, Boškan, Đurić, Gerić, N. Grbić, V. Grbić, Jokanović, Kovač, Mešter, Tanasković, Vujević, Vušurović. Head Coach: Gajić 1999 – Bronze medal Batez, Boškan, Đurić, Gerić, N. Grbić, V. Grbić, Mešter, Mijić, Miljković, Petković, Tanasković, Vujević. Head Coach: Gajić 2001 – Gold medal Boškan, Gerić, N. Grbić, V. Grbić, Jokanović, Marić, Mešter, Mijić, Miljković, Škorić, Vujević, Vušurović. Head Coach: Gajić 2005 – Bronze medal Bjelica, Bojović, Boškan, Gerić, Ilić, Janić, Miljković, Mitrović, Samardžić, Stanković, Vujević. Head coach: Travica 2007 – Bronze medal Kovačević, Janić, Petković, Boškan, Stanković, Samardžić, Grbić, Nikić, Gerić, Miljković, Starović, Podraščanin. Head coach: Kolaković 2011 – Gold medal N. Kovačević, U. Kovačević, Petković, Terzić, Stanković, Vujić, Nikić, Mitić, Rašić, Miljković, Starović, Atanasijević, Podraščanin, Rosić. Head Coach: Kolaković 2013 – Bronze medal Kovačević, Ivović, Petrić, Petković, Stanković, Vujić, Jovović, Nikić, Rašić, Atanasijević, Starović, Podraščanin, Rosić, Lisinac. Head coach: Kolaković 2017 – Bronze medal Okolić, Kovačević, Katić, Petrić (), Škundrić, Stanković, Jovović, Buculjević, Atanasijević, Luburić, Majstorović, Podraščanin, Rosić, Lisinac. Head coach: Grbić 2019 – Gold medal Okolić, Kovačević, Petrić (), Ćirović, Peković, Krsmanović, Ivović, Jovović, Atanasijević, Luburić, Majstorović, Podraščanin, Lisinac, Todorović. Head coach: Kovač
European Games
YearRankPldWLSWSL 2015 Baku5th624119 2019 Minsk volleyball tournament not held 2023 Kraków 2027 IstanbulTBDTotal1/1624119
Mediterranean Games
Champions Runners up Third place Fourth place YearRankPldWLSWSL1963 to 1991part of Yugoslavia 1993 suspended 1997 did not enter 20016th place52389 20053rd place 541136as Serbia 2007– 2009did not enter 2013 2018 20229th place30329 20267th place523811Total4/9188103135
Results and fixtures 2021 2021 (W–L 17–10) Date TimeOpponent Result2020 European Olympic Qualification Tournament2021 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League2021 Men's European Volleyball Championship 2022 2022 (W–L 9–10) Date TimeOpponent Result2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League2022 Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial2022 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship 2023 2023 (W–L 14–12) Date TimeOpponent Result2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League2023 Men's European Volleyball Championship2023 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup 2024 2024 (W–L 6–9) Date TimeOpponent Result2024 FIVB Volleyball Men's Nations League2024 Summer Olympics 2025 2025 (W–L 5–14) Date TimeOpponent Result2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League2025 Memorial of Hubert Jerzy Wagner2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship 2026 2026 (W–L 8–10) Date TimeOpponent ResultAttd.Report2026 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League2026 Men's European Volleyball Championship 2027 2027 (W–L 0–0) Date TimeOpponent ResultAttd.Report2027 Volleyball Nations League
Team Current squad The following is Serbia's roster for the 2025 FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship.
Head coach: Gheorghe Crețu
1 Dušan Nikolić 3 Stefan Negić 4 Veljko Mašulović 8 Marko Ivović 9 Nikola Jovović 10 Miran Kujundžić 12 Pavle Perić 13 Vladimir Gajović 15 Nemanja Mašulović 16 Dražen Luburić 19 Aleksandar Stefanović 21 Vuk Todorović 22 Nikola Brborić 29 Aleksandar Nedeljković
Coach history Zoran Gajić (1995–2002) Veselin Vuković (2002–2003) Ljubomir Travica (2003–2006) Igor Kolaković (2006–2014) Nikola Grbić (2015–2019) Slobodan Kovač (2019–2021) Igor Kolaković (2022–2024) Gheorghe Crețu (2025–present)
Notable players Ivan Miljković Nikola Grbić Andrija Gerić
Slobodan Boškan Vladimir Grbić Slobodan Kovač Dejan Brđović Rajko Jokanović Goran Vujević Đula Mešter Vasa Mijić Žarko Petrović Igor Vušurović Bojan Janić Edin Škorić Veljko Petković Željko Tanasković
Kit providers The table below shows the history of kit providers for the Serbia national volleyball team.
PeriodKit provider2000–Asics DAcapo2017–Peak Sport Products
Sponsorship Primary sponsors include: main sponsors like Poštanska štedionica. other sponsors: Škoda Auto, Radio Television of Serbia, Žurnal, Srbijagas, Posta, EPS and Blic.
See also