National Team Gathers for European Championship Assault

Pulse Sports Team 18:24 - 02 August 2026

Viana do Castelo hosts the 16 players selected by João José starting this Monday, as Portugal prepares for its fourth EuroVolley appearance kicking off in September

Head coach João José aims for at least the Round of 16 in what marks the men's national team's fourth consecutive appearance in the European Championship finals.

The men's national team, led by João José, begins its training camp this Monday, August 3rd, in Viana do Castelo. The objective is to prepare for their participation in EuroVolley, scheduled from September 6th to 29th across Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, and Romania. Portugal has been drawn into Group B in Sofia, facing a challenging road ahead as they take on reigning champions Poland and co-hosts and World Championship runners-up Bulgaria.

“It's a competitive group, with familiar and demanding opponents. Without illusions of easy games, tasks, or challenges, we must forge our path in this competition,” the national coach stated, setting the target: securing one of the top four spots in the group to punch their ticket to the Round of 16.

Squad List

Gonçalo Sousa (Sporting CP)
Kelton Tavares (Sporting CP)
Lourenço Martins (Sporting CP)
Diogo Fevereiro (SL Benfica)
Tomás Teixeira (SL Benfica)
Gonçalo Gomes (Vitória SC)
Nuno Teixeira (Vitória SC)
José Pinto (AA Espinho)
Rodrigo Costa (C. Maia GC)
Guilherme Menezes (SC Espinho)
Nuno Marques (Lindemans Aalst)
André Pereira (Martigues VB/FRA)
Bruno Dias (Tourcoing VB/FRA)
Alexandre Ferreira (Tokyo Great Bears/JPN)
Filip Cveticanin (SC Zalau/ROM)
Manuel Figueiredo (Volley Nafels/SUI)
*clubs for 2025/2026 season

“I would describe this call-up as a group with a broader range of competitive solutions, while still accumulating experience for the future. Our ambition remains exactly the same: we want to be competitive in every game, but we do so with a group that represents both the present and the future. There's a balance between experienced and young athletes, with players gaining relevant international experience, and more options to respond to different challenges,” João José highlighted.