Canada have consistently participated in the World League after their debut in 1999 and this year are in their sixth straight appearance in the tournament. Their best ever performance has been a fifth place in 2013, when they qualified for the final round but lost both their opening matches in Mar del Plata, Argentina. In 2016 they topped Group 2 with an 8-1 record in pool play before beating Turkey in the semifinals and hosts Portugal in the final in Matosinhos – both in straight sets – to get promoted to Group 1 for 2017.
Canada’s other achievements include a fourth place at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games and two bronze medals at the Pan American Games in 1979 and 1999. They have participated in four Olympic Games, including most recently a fifth place finish at Rio 2016, after returning to the Games following a quartercentury absence.
Canada hosted the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto where they beat Puerto Rico for the bronze medal. Canada competed at the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Cup in 2015 for the first time in 12 years, finishing seventh. They last appeared in 2003, also finishing seventh. They finished joint-seventh at the 2014 FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship