1981 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Cup

The 1981 FIVB Men's World Cup was held from 19 to 28 November 1981 in Japan. It was the 4th edition of the competition.

Qualification

Means of qualification	Date	Host	Vacancies	Qualified
Host Country	—	―	1	Japan
Volleyball at the 1980 Summer Olympics	20 Jul – 1 Aug 1980	Moscow	1	Soviet Union
1978 FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship	20 September – 1 October 1978	Italy	1	Italy
1981 Men's European Volleyball Championship	19–27 September 1981	Bulgaria	1	Poland
1981 Men's NORCECA Volleyball Championship	4–10 July 1981	Mexico City	1	Cuba
1981 Men's South American Volleyball Championship	12–19 July 1981	Santiago	1	Brazil
Asian Qualifier	14–23 March 1981	Hong Kong	1	China
1979 Men's African Volleyball Championship	9–15 November 1979	Tripoli	1	Tunisia
Total			8

Source:^[1]

Source: ^{[citation needed]}

Location: Fukuoka

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
19 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	Brazil	15–6	15–4	15–5			45–15
19 Nov	Japan	3–0	Italy	15–10	15–13	15–5			45–28
19 Nov	Poland	3–0	Tunisia	15–3	15–8	15–2			45–13
19 Nov	Cuba	3–2	China	11–15	15–13	11–15	15–11	15–9	67–63
20 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	China	15–11	15–11	15–12			45–34
20 Nov	Cuba	3–0	Tunisia	15–6	15–4	15–4			45–14
20 Nov	Poland	3–2	Italy	15–7	15–10	10–15	11–15	15–6	66–53
20 Nov	Brazil	3–1	Japan	15–10	10–15	15–8	15–11		55–44

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
22 Nov	Brazil	3–2	Italy	13–15	14–16	15–6	15–12	15–8	72–57
22 Nov	Cuba	3–0	Poland	16–14	15–4	15–3			46–21
22 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	Tunisia	15–4	15–8	15–2			45–14
22 Nov	China	3–1	Japan	15–12	2–15	15–8	15–9		47–44

Location: Gifu

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
24 Nov	Brazil	3–1	China	12–15	15–12	15–12	15–12		57–51
24 Nov	Cuba	3–1	Italy	14–16	15–10	15–2	15–3		59–31
24 Nov	Soviet Union	3–2	Poland	8–15	15–11	15–4	13–15	15–4	66–49
24 Nov	Japan	3–0	Tunisia	15–1	15–1	15–6			45–8

Location: Tokyo

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
26 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	Cuba	15–3	17–15	15–11			47–29
26 Nov	Poland	3–2	Japan	15–13	3–15	8–15	15–8	15–13	56–64

Location: Yokohama

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
26 Nov	China	3–1	Italy	15–13	15–5	10–15	15–8		55–41
26 Nov	Brazil	3–1	Tunisia	15–3	15–9	13–15	15–10		58–37

Location: Tokyo

Date		Score		Set 1	Set 2	Set 3	Set 4	Set 5	Total
27 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	Italy	15–6	15–5	15–9			45–20
27 Nov	Cuba	3–2	Japan	15–8	12–15	15–12	10–15	15–7	67–57
27 Nov	China	3–0	Tunisia	15–?	15–?	15–?			45–8
27 Nov	Brazil	3–0	Poland	15–10	15–11	15–10			45–31
28 Nov	Italy	3–0	Tunisia	15–3	15–8	15–5			45–16
28 Nov	Poland	3–0	China	15–11	15–11	15–11			45–33
28 Nov	Cuba	3–1	Brazil	5–15	15–10	16–14	15–11		51–50
28 Nov	Soviet Union	3–0	Japan	15–5	15–11	15–11			45–27

1981 Men's World Cup champions
Soviet Union 3rd title

Team roster

Head coach

Viacheslav Platonov