José 'Zé Roberto' Guimarães prepares to lead the Brazilian women's volleyball team into their 18th World Championship appearance as the prestigious tournament undergoes significant format changes in Thailand this August.
The legendary coach, who has been at the helm of Brazil's national team for over two decades, brings a squad ranked second in the FIVB World Rankings to compete in the first-ever 32-team edition of the championship.
"The new biennial format and expanded field create more opportunities for countries to develop their volleyball programs while maintaining the elite level of competition," volleyball analysts note about the tournament's evolution.
Eight Brazilian players from the 2022 silver medal squad return to chase gold this time around, including setter Macris Carneiro and star outside hitter Gabriela 'Gabi' Guimarães.
The 20th edition of the FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship kicks off August 22 across four Thai cities – Bangkok, Nakhon Ratchasima, Phuket, and Chiang Mai – running through September 7. Interestingly, this marks the first time the tournament will be held every two years rather than its traditional four-year cycle.
In Pool C, Brazil faces challenging matchups against Puerto Rico, France, and Greece in Chiang Mai. Puerto Rico, making their seventh straight appearance, brings experience with setter Natalia Valentín Anderson. France returns after a 50-year absence following their Olympic participation, while Greece competes in just their second-ever World Championship.
The tournament's new structure divides teams into eight pools of four, with the top two from each group advancing to the elimination rounds. All knockout matches will be played in Bangkok, culminating with the medal matches on September 7.
For volleyball fans, this expanded format provides more matches to watch during the pool stage – 48 contests across five days – before the competition intensifies in the elimination rounds. Will Brazil's blend of experience and talent finally deliver the gold that has eluded them despite four silver medal finishes? The volleyball world watches with anticipation.
