Women's Volleyball World Cup: groups, regulations and crossovers

The Women's Volleyball World Championship will begin this Friday (August 22) in Thailand. For the first time, 32 teams will be competing in the competition, which will be held every two years from this Olympic cycle onwards.

With the increase in the number of participants, the World Cup regulations have changed. There are eight groups of four teams, with only the top two advancing to the next stage. At the end of the group stage, only knockout matches will take place from the round of 16 onward.

Check out the eight groups of the Women's World Cup:

Group A: Thailand, Sweden, Netherlands, Egypt

Group B: Italy, Cuba, Belgium and Slovakia

Group C: Brazil, Puerto Rico, France and Greece

Group D: United States, Czech Republic, Argentina, and Slovenia

Group E: Türkiye, Canada, Bulgaria, Spain

Group F: China, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico

Group G: Poland, Germany, Kenya, Vietnam

Group H: Japan, Serbia, Ukraine, Cameroon

CROSSINGS IN THE ELIMINATION PHASE

Since the group draw, the teams have known their path in the World Cup. Brazil, for example, is in Group C and will face the best teams from Group F in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, with China and the Dominican Republic as favorites. In a hypothetical semifinal, José Roberto Guimarães's team will face the team that advances from Groups B and G, with Italy and Poland as the main contenders.

Here's what the round of 16 crossovers will look like:

First of A x second of H

First of H x second of A

First of B x second of G

First of G x second of B

First of C x second of F

First of F x second of C

First of D x second of E

First of E x second of D