Two host cities and new format for 2026 European Water Polo Championships
European Aquatics has announced the 2026 European Water Polo Championships will be contested across two venues, with the men’s tournament set for Belgrade, Serbia, from 10th-25th January, while the location and dates for the women’s event will soon be confirmed.
Both eagerly-awaited competitions will feature 16 teams battling it out on the grandest of stages for the coveted title of European champions.
The highly-successful 2024 tournaments also took place in two countries, with Spain winning the men’s gold in Croatia, and the Netherlands lifting the women’s trophy on home soil in Eindhoven.
Revamped structure for the men’s tournament
The new format for the men’s 16-day tournament will begin with Group Stage I, featuring four pools of four teams – consisting of two nations that finished in the top eight in 2024 and two sides that successfully navigated the qualification process.
Across three match days, each side will face every opponent in their group, with a day of rest between games.
Following Group Stage I, the top three teams from each pool will advance to Group Stage II, which will merge the top 12 teams into two new groups of six – Group E (teams from Groups A and C) and Group F (teams from Groups B and D).
All the points gained during Group Stage I will carry over to the second phase, where each side will contest three more games against new opponents, ensuring a dramatic road to the knockout rounds.
The four teams that finish bottom of their respective pools after Group Stage I will play a round-robin set of games to determine their final rankings (13th–16th place).
After Group Stage II, the top two teams in each pool will secure a highly-prized spot in the 1st-4th semi-finals, while the others will face crossover classification games to decide the 5th-12th places.
New women’s tournament format
The women’s 11-day tournament will follow a similar structure to the men’s competition, with teams initially split into four groups of four – featuring two sides that finished in the top eight in 2024 and two nations that were successful in the qualification events.
The top two teams from each group will advance to Group Stage II, forming two new pools of four – Group E (teams from Group A and C) and Group F (teams from Groups B and D).
In this second round, each team will carry over their points from the previous stage and play two more games against new opponents.
The Group Stage II winners and runners-up will progress to the 1st-4th semi-finals, while the 3rd and 4th placed teams will contest the 5th -8th semi-finals.
Elsewhere, the sides that finish 3rd and 4th in Group Stage I will form two new pools (G and H) of four, before crossover classification games decide the 9th-16th rankings.
New MVP awards for men’s and women’s tournaments
In addition to the prestigious trophies and medals on offer, individual MVP awards will be presented after each semi-final, the bronze medal match, and the grand final. A panel of experts will also select the seven standout players from the whole tournament for special recognition.
Which teams have already qualified?
Eight men’s teams – Serbia, Croatia, Spain, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Hungary, and Romania – have already secured their spots for the tournament in Belgrade, and the remaining teams will battle for qualification this summer in four events across Malta, Slovenia, Türkiye and Georgia (June (8)9-11, 2025).
On the women’s side, Netherlands, Spain, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, France, and Croatia have punched their tickets to the main tournament. The last available spots will be decided in the qualification tournaments being held in Portugal, Germany, Serbia, and Slovakia (June 6-8, 2025).
More details about this summer’s qualification tournaments and draws can be found by clicking here.
The 2026 European Water Polo Championships will mark the 37th edition of the men’s event, with Hungary currently the most decorated team, boasting 13 gold medals.
Meanwhile, the women’s competition will celebrate its 21st edition, with the Netherlands currently leading the way with six golds, closely followed by Italy with five.
Return to a legendary venue
The men’s tournament will take place at Serbia’s impressive Belgrade Arena, the same iconic venue that hosted the memorable 2016 event, which attracted record crowds of over 18,000 spectators. That year, Serbia delighted the home fans by winning the men’s title after an epic clash with Montenegro in the final, while Hungary triumphed in the women’s competition.
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For more details about the new structure for the 2026 European Water Polo Championships, click here, and stay up-to-date with all the latest water polo news from across the continent through the European Aquatics App. Download it here: Google Play.
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