Beach volleyball at the 2024 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament

Lore & Background

The tournament began with a preliminary round where 24 teams were split into six pools of four. After round-robin play, the top two teams from each pool and the two best third-placed teams advanced directly to the knockout stage. The remaining four third-placed teams entered a lucky loser round to determine the final two knockout spots. A win awarded two match points, a loss one, with tiebreakers based on rally points ratio and head-to-head results.

Reader's Guide

The 2024 men's beach volleyball tournament was a key event of the Paris Olympics, showcasing 48 athletes from 18 nations. The competition structure, with its lucky loser playoffs, ensured that even third-placed teams had a path to the knockout stage. The draw on 28 June set the pools, and the schedule was finalized on 4 July. The tournament's significance lies in its Olympic context, bringing together top international talent at a temporary stadium beneath the Eiffel Tower. The format's tiebreaking rules, emphasizing rally points ratio, added strategic depth to pool play. This event contributed to the broader beach volleyball program at the 2024 Games, alongside the women's tournament and related volleyball competitions.

Did You Know?

• The tournament took place at Eiffel Tower Stadium on the Champ de Mars.
• Twenty-four teams from 18 NOCs competed.
• The draw was held on 28 June 2024.
• The schedule was announced on 4 July 2024.

The Stage at Alamitos Beach

The beach volleyball competition at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics will unfold over a two-week window from 15 to 30 July 2028, giving athletes a full fortnight to compete on the sand. The chosen venue, Alamitos Beach, places the action directly on the Pacific coastline, offering players and spectators an authentic oceanfront setting for what is one of the most visually spectacular Olympic disciplines. A total of 48 beach volleyball teams will take the court across both the men's and women's tournaments, with 24 teams competing in each gender. This substantial field ensures deep, multi-round competition where every match carries weight, and the coastal location amplifies the spectacle for both live audiences and global television viewers. The extended schedule also allows for the natural rhythm of beach volleyball—morning and evening sessions, rest days between rounds—to develop organically over the full period.

The Road to Olympic Berths

The pathway to the 2028 beach volleyball Olympic spots was formally laid out by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball on 11 December 2025. The United States, as host nation, is guaranteed one team in each gender's tournament. Beyond that automatic slot, the champions of five continental championships held in 2026 will earn direct qualification, ensuring geographic representation across the FIVB's five confederations. The winners of the 2027 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Championships will also secure their Olympic places. Whatever spots remain unfilled after these routes will be distributed through the FIVB's Olympic Ranking system and a dedicated Olympic Qualifier Series, providing additional opportunities for teams that may not have dominated a single event but have demonstrated consistent excellence over a longer competitive period.

A Dual-Discipline Volleyball Showcase

The 2028 Los Angeles Games will present volleyball in its two distinct forms simultaneously, creating a unique dual-discipline spectacle. While the 48 beach volleyball teams compete at Alamitos Beach, the 24 indoor volleyball teams will battle it out at the Honda Center, a major indoor arena that provides a contrasting environment of controlled conditions and packed crowds. This parallel structure means that for the duration of the volleyball competitions, fans in Southern California can follow both the sun-drenched, sand-based drama and the high-tempo indoor rallies. The FIVB's qualification framework treats both disciplines as separate but equally important pillars, each with its own continental championships, World Championships, and ranking-based allocation, ensuring that neither format is overshadowed within the Olympic program.

A Multi-Year Qualification Blueprint

The qualification architecture for the 2028 volleyball events reflects a layered system designed to balance host-nation rights, continental representation, and merit-based selection. The FIVB announced the full framework on 11 December 2025, establishing a clear timeline: continental championships in 2026, World Championships in 2027 (the indoor event operating under the rebranded FIVB Volleyball World Cup name), and finally the 2028 FIVB Volleyball Nations League preliminary round, after which the FIVB World Ranking will determine the last three indoor berths per gender. For beach volleyball, the Olympic Ranking and Olympic Qualifier Series serve as the final allocation mechanism. This staggered, multi-year approach means a team's Olympic journey can span well over two years of competition, demanding sustained performance rather than a single peak moment.