First Men´s Volleyball World Championships was arranged in Prague on outside tennis courts in 1949. World Championship was the greatest volleyball event at this time, volleyball was included among olympic sports later. Soviet Union won the first gold medal.

 

History of World Champioships

year
place
gold
silver
bronze
1949
Czechoslovakia
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria
1952
Soviet Union
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
Bulgaria
1956
France
Czechoslovakia
Romania
Soviet Union
1960
Brazil
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
Romania
1962
Soviet Union
Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia
Romania
1966
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Romania
Soviet Union
1970
Bulgaria
GDR
Bulgaria
Japan
1974
Mexico
Poland
Soviet Union
Japan
1978
Italy
Soviet Union
Italy
Cuba
1982
Argentina
Soviet Union
Brazil
Argentina
1986
France
USA
Soviet Union
Bulgaria
1990
Brazil
Italy
Cuba
Soviet Union
1994
Greece
Italy
Netherlands
USA
1998
Japan
Italy
Yugoslavia
Cuba
2002
Argentina
Brazil
Russia
France
2006
Japan
?
?
?

Country
medal total
gold
silver
bronze
Soviet Union
12
6
3
3
Czechoslovakia
6
2
4
0
Italy
4
3
1
0
Romania
4
0
2
2
Bulgaria
4
0
1
3
Cuba
3
0
1
2
Brazil
2
1
1
0
USA
2
1
0
1
Japan
2
0
0
2
Poland
1
1
0
0
GDR
1
1
0
0
Netherlands
1
0
1
0
Yugoslavia
1
0
1
0
Argentina
1
0
0
1
France
1
0
0
1