Volleyball World, the commercial arm of the sport’s FIVB governing body, has struck a new ‘landmark’ global merchandising partnership with sports retailer Decathlon, its new official merchandising partner, to support its annual Volleyball Nations League (VNL) competition.
The deal will begin in March with the launch of a VNL-branded merchandise collection created and distributed by Decathlon, which will feature volleyballs, accessories, and sports apparel.
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Decathlon will disseminate this merchandise across select locations in VNL host cities and participant countries.
This will include major territories such as Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Philippines, Poland, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Thailand, and Turkey.
This deal will complement existing Volleyball World equipment partnerships, particularly its ball supply deal with Mikasa, which is currently set to run through 2032.
Volleyball World and Decathlon will collaborate to promote and activate around the partnership in a number of markets.
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By GlobalDataSpeaking on the partnership, Volleyball World chief executive Ugo Valensi commented: “This partnership is a milestone for the VNL and Volleyball World. It marks the first time we’ve entered a global, multi-channel retail collaboration with a major sporting goods brand, and Decathlon’s passion for volleyball has been evident from the outset.”
This announcement comes just days after Volleyball World announced the appointment of sports agency Red Tiger Marketing to a long-term role supporting its global commercial strategy, with a focus on sponsorship, strategic partnerships, and brand-led growth initiatives (Red Tiger was not involved in the Decathlon partnership, which was brokered in-house).
Valensi continued: “[Decathlon’s] commitment to developing the sport and making it more accessible reflects our shared ambition for global growth. Together, we are building a new retail and fan-engagement ecosystem that will bring VNL closer to people everywhere, and we’re excited about the positive impact this will have on the global volleyball community.”
Valensi took up the role on August 4, 2025, after being appointed following the departure of Finn Taylor.
Other partners of Volleyball World include sports betting platform 1XBet, Chinese water brand Ganten, flooring provider Gerflor, Japanese sportswear manufacturer Mizuno, and specialist volleyball equipment company Senoh.
