*This content was translated by AI.
The Korean Yeo Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team has stepped onto the main stage of the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Women's World Cup for the first time in five years, entering the competition for a berth at the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.
According to the list of 32 participating countries for the 2027 World Cup announced by the FIVB on the 6th (Korean time), South Korea secured a last-minute spot in the main tournament, holding the world No. 27 ranking as of the 2nd.
The national team failed to advance to the semifinals at the Asian Championship in August, missing out on the direct tickets awarded to the top three teams from each continent. However, it secured one of the 14th qualification slots allocated based on world rankings. In Asia, Thailand, China, and Japan had already obtained their berths through continental qualifiers.
The 2027 World Cup will be held in the United States and Canada from August 20 to September 5 next year. The 32 teams will be divided into eight groups of four for the group stage, after which the top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 16 tournament to compete for final rankings.
This tournament carries the character of a preliminary battle for the LA Olympics. A total of 12 countries will participate in women's volleyball at the Olympics. Currently, host nation United States and five continental champions (Canada, Thailand, Turkey, Egypt, and Brazil) have secured their priority berths. Of the remaining six slots, three will go to the top three teams from among those that have not yet secured an Olympic berth at this World Cup. The other three will be allocated based on world rankings for the following year.
Accordingly, South Korea must achieve a minimum of third place at the World Cup or significantly raise its world ranking over the course of a year to aim for a spot in LA.
Meanwhile, the Korean Nam Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team finished third at last month's Asian Championship, securing a direct berth to the 2027 World Cup early on.
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*This content was translated by AI.
