site.btaBulgaria Prepares to Welcome Back Its Silver Medallists from FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship

The Bulgarian men's national volleyball team has achieved one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of the sport in Bulgaria and the players will be welcomed as true champions upon their return to the country. The team is returning to Sofia on Tuesday after its historic performance at the FIVB Men's Volleyball World Championship 2025, where it won the silver medals and ranked second in the world.

Bulgarian national team players Aleksandar Nikolov and Aleks Grozdanov were selected in the team of the tournament, and the Bulgarian squad was the youngest on average in the championship.

Sports Minister Ivan Peshev left early in the morning for Istanbul on a government plane to bring home the national team. They are expected to arrive on home soil after 10:15 a.m. on the government VIP plane, where they will give brief statements.

"This is a truly unique event, and I am extremely happy to go and welcome our competitors, our champions. We will be taking off shortly on the government plane so that we can get to Istanbul to welcome our champions, who are returning on a flight from Manila. We made these arrangements because they had to wait more than 12 hours at the airport, which is not right. They deserve better, and this is the least we can do for them," the Minister said before the plane took off.

The Bulgarian Volleyball Federation and Sofia Municipality are also organizing a special reception for fans and all Bulgarians who want to celebrate together with the world vice-champions from Mondial 2025. The special event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on St. Alexander Nevski Square.

At around 5:30 p.m., a parade with an open bus carrying Bulgaria's volleyball heroes will start from Nezavisimost Square. A musical program has been prepared.

"No alcohol, weapons, or fireworks will be allowed, and strict security measures will be in place. Please use the metro and buffer parking lots to avoid traffic jams and accidents. Come and show that Bulgaria always supports its boys. There will be a stage, music, awards, and special moments with our heroes," the organizers said in a statement.

"The area around Alexander Nevski Square will be freely accessible throughout the day. There will be no checkpoints, but there will be an increased police presence. The police will monitor the square for pyrotechnics, glass bottles, flags with hard handles, cold weapons, and firearms. It is also prohibited to fly drones in and around the square, unless special permission has been obtained," announced the Sofia Municipality.