# 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 | Total | Total | 8 | |

## Results

Source:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | Pts | SW | SL | SR | SPW | SPL | SPR |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 | 2 | 10.500 | 338 | 188 | 1.798 |
| 2 | Cuba | 7 | 6 | 1 | 13 | 18 | 9 | 2.000 | 364 | 283 | 1.286 |
| 3 | Brazil | 7 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 1.455 | 352 | 316 | 1.114 |
| 4 | Poland | 7 | 4 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 13 | 1.077 | 313 | 320 | 0.978 |
| 5 | China | 7 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 0.857 | 328 | 307 | 1.068 |
| 6 | Japan | 7 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 0.800 | 326 | 306 | 1.065 |
| 7 | Italy | 7 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 0.500 | 275 | 358 | 0.768 |
| 8 | Tunisia | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 0.048 | 110 | 328 | 0.335 |
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 |
Location: Hiroshima and Matsuyama
| 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 |

## Final standing

| Rank | Team |
| | Soviet Union |
| | Cuba |
| | Brazil |
| 4 | Poland |
| 5 | China |
| 6 | Japan |
| 7 | Italy |
| 8 | Tunisia |
* 1981 Men's World Cup champions
* Soviet Union 3rd title
* Team roster
* Vyacheslav Zaytsev, Vladimir Kondra, Aleksandr Borisovich Savin, Viljar Loor, Vladimir Dorokhov, Yury Panchenko, Pāvels Seļivanovs, Oleg Moliboga, Vladimir Shkurikhin, Yury Kuznetsov, Aleksandr Sapega, Pavel Voronkov
* Head coach
* Viacheslav Platonov

## Awards

* Most valuable player
    Vyacheslav Zaytsev
* Best spiker
    Raúl Vilches
* Best blocker
    Aleksandr Borisovich Savin
* Best setter
    Shen Fu Lin
* Best defender
    Renan Dal Zotto
* Best on the pitch
    Haruhiko Hanawa