2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship

Last updated
2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship
Tournament details
Host countryFlag of Serbia.svg Serbia
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Dates10–25 January
Teams16 (from 1 confederation)
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The 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship will be the 37th running of the tournament. It will be held in Belgrade, Serbia. [1]

Contents

Host selection

Belgrade was given the hosting rights on 13 May 2022. [1]

Format

A new system will be used for this tournament. The 16 teams will be split into four groups of four teams. In each group there will be two teams from the last tournament and two teams from the qualifiers. They will play a round-robin in their groups. The top three teams of each group will advance to the second group stage (Groups A&C in Group E and Groups B&D in Group F) with all results are carried over. The teams will play the opponents from the other group. The four-bottom ranked-teams will play in placement games. From the second group stage, the top-two ranked teams of each group advance to the semifinals, all other teams will play in placement games. [2]

Qualification

Map of qualifiers for the 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship:
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Team qualified for 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship
Team failed to qualify
Team banned from competition
Did not enter 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship qualified teams map.svg
Map of qualifiers for the 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship:
  Team qualified for 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship
  Team failed to qualify
  Team banned from competition
  Did not enter

Sixteen teams will be able to compete at the main event. They are broken up as follows:

Regarding the teams, there is one change to the line-up, with Türkiye returning after a six year drought. The Turks replaced two-time champions, Germany, who missed out for the first time since 1962 and failed to qualify for the first time ever. [3]

EventDateLocationQuotasNation(s)
Host13 May 20221Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
2024 European Championship 4–16 January Flag of Croatia.svg Croatia 7Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Qualifiers 8–11 June 2025 Flag of Slovenia.svg Kranj 2Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Flag of Turkey.svg Istanbul 2Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
Flag of Turkey.svg  Türkiye
Flag of Georgia.svg Tbilisi 2Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Malta.svg Gzira 2Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta

Summary of qualified teams

TeamQualification methodDate of qualificationAppFirstLastStreakBest placement in tournamentRank [4]
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia Host nation13 May 202211th 2006 2024 11Champions (2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018)TBD
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia Top eight in 2024 8 January 202417th 1993 17Champions (2010, 2022)TBD
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 36th 1926 30Champions (Thirteen times) [A] TBD
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 35th 1927 34Champions (1947, 1993, 1995)TBD
Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 31st27Champions (2024)TBD
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 10 January 202410th 2008 10Champions (2008)TBD
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 11 January 202421st 1970 19Fourth place (1999, 2016)TBD
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 27th 1954 14Fourth place (1993, 2006)TBD
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia Top two in Group B 9 June 202512th 1993 6Seventh place (2003)TBD
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia Top two in Group C 10 June 20256th 2016 6Eighth place (2022)TBD
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 3rd 2022 3Twelfth place (2022)TBD
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands Top two in Group A 31st 1927 6Champions (1927)TBD
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 6th 1999 3Eleventh place (1999)TBD
Flag of France.svg  France Top two in Group D 20th 1927 7Runners-up (1927)TBD
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 6th 2016 6Fourteenth place (2022)TBD
Flag of Turkey.svg  Türkiye Top two in Group B 11 June 20254th 2016 2020 1Twelfth place (2020)TBD
  1. Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary have won in 1926, 1927, 1931, 1934, 1938, 1954, 1958, 1962, 1974, 1977, 1997, 1999 and 2020.

Venue

Similar to 2016, the Štark Arena will be used for the entire competition. [5]

Belgrade
Štark Arena
Capacity: 18,386
2016 European Water Polo Championship - Day 1 (Portugal - Greece).jpg

Draw

The draw was held on 13 September 2025 in Belgrade, Serbia. [6] [7]

The pots were decided by the rankings of the 2024 European Championship and also of the 2026 Qualifiers

Pot 1 (1st-4th Euro 2024)Pot 2 (5th-8th Euro 2024)Pot 3 (Winner Qualification's group)Pot 4 (Runner-up Qualification's group)

Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary

Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania

Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Flag of France.svg  France

Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta

Group AGroup BGroup CGroup D

Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary
Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of Malta.svg  Malta

Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia
Flag of Greece.svg  Greece
Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia
Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia

Flag of Spain.svg  Spain
Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of Israel.svg  Israel

Flag of Italy.svg  Italy
Flag of Romania.svg  Romania
Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia
Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey

Preliminary round

Group A

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Malta.svg  Malta 000000000 Main round
2Flag of France.svg  France 000000000
3Flag of Montenegro.svg  Montenegro 000000000
4Flag of Hungary.svg  Hungary 000000000 Classification round
First match(es) will be played: 10 January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.

Group B

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Slovenia.svg  Slovenia 000000000 Main round
2Flag of Greece.svg  Greece 000000000
3Flag of Croatia.svg  Croatia 000000000
4Flag of Georgia.svg  Georgia 000000000 Classification round
First match(es) will be played: 10 January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.

Group C

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands 000000000 Main round
2Flag of Israel.svg  Israel 000000000
3Flag of Serbia.svg  Serbia (H)000000000
4Flag of Spain.svg  Spain 000000000 Classification round
First match(es) will be played: 10 January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.
(H) Host

Group D

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Turkey.svg  Turkey 000000000 Main round
2Flag of Romania.svg  Romania 000000000
3Flag of Italy.svg  Italy 000000000
4Flag of Slovakia.svg  Slovakia 000000000 Classification round
First match(es) will be played: 10 January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.

Classification round

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPts
1A4000000000
2B4000000000
3B4000000000
4D4000000000
First match(es) will be played: January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.

Main round

All points obtained in the preliminary round against teams that advance as well are carried over.

Group E

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1A1000000000 Semifinals
2C1000000000
3A2000000000
4C2000000000
5A3000000000
6C3000000000
First match(es) will be played: January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.

Group F

PosTeamPldWPSWPSLLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1B1000000000 Semifinals
2D1000000000
3B2000000000
4D2000000000
5B3000000000
6D3000000000
First match(es) will be played: January 2026. Source: [ citation needed ]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.

Knockout stage

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
January
 
 
 
 
January
 
 
 
 
 
January
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Third place
 
 
January
 
 
 
 
 
 

Final standings

RankTeam
Gold medal icon.svg
Silver medal icon.svg
Bronze medal icon.svg
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

References

  1. 1 2 "Tel Aviv, Belgrade To Host Next Two European Water Polo Championships". swimswam.com. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  2. "2026 Men's European Championships in Belgrade by new format; women won't play in Serbia". total-waterpolo.com. 31 March 2025.
  3. Curcic, Ivan (June 11, 2025). "Historic shock: Germany fails to qualify for European Championships for first time".
  4. "Men Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". February 20, 2023.
  5. "Београд домаћин Европског првенства у ватерполу 2026. године". РТС.
  6. "Watch the 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championships draw live from Belgrade". europeanaquatics.org. Retrieved 13 September 2025.
  7. "2026 Men's European Water Polo Championships draw sets up a thrilling tournament". europeanaquatics.org. Retrieved 13 September 2025.