Since 1978, the World Championship final is the last match of the competition, played by the only two teams remaining in contention, and the result determines which country is declared the world champion.

Prior to that, the competition used a round-robin format in the final round, consisting of 4 to 10 teams that advanced from the preliminary rounds, and the world champion was determined based on the team with the best ranking in the final standings.

The former Soviet Union is also the most successful team in the competition, having won five titles and finished second twice.

China, Russia, and current champion Serbia have two each, while Italy and the United States have one each.

Serbia defeated Brazil in straight sets in the latest final, staged at Netherlands' Omnisport Arena in 2022.