The five-day event at Molo Sanita in Cagliari features 10 men's and 10 women's teams, split into two pools of five.

Pool winners qualify immediately for the semi-finals, while the second and third-place teams compete in the quarter-finals.

Mol and Sørum, who recently won their third successive continental title, are among the favourites in the men's competition, alongside Qatar - represented by world number ones and Olympic bronze medallists Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tija - and the Czech Republic, with Ondřej Perušič and David Schweiner looking to go one better than their FIVB world number two ranking.

American Jake Gibb, now 45, will compete in his final World Tour Finals, alongside Taylor Crabb, while Ilya Leshukov and three-time Olympian Konstantin Semenov represent Russia.

In the women's event, 10 pairs are set to compete, representing eight countries. 

The United States and Switzerland will send two teams each, including two of the favourites for the competition, America's Tokyo 2020 Olympic champions April Ross and Alix Klineman and world number twos Sarah Sponcil and Kelly Claes.

Germany and Brazil have won each of the last five World Tour Finals.

The former is represented by world number ones Karla Borger and Julia Sude, the latter by Ágatha Bednarczuk and Eduarda Santos Lisboa, who have medalled at each of the last three World Tour Finals.

Canada's world champions Sarah Pavan and Melissa Humana-Paredes are also involved, while FIVB world number three ranked pair Nadezda Makroguzova and Svetlana Kholomina of Russia will also expect to compete for the title.

The competition is set to conclude on Sunday (October 10).