New website for 2026 Women’s European Water Polo Championships goes live
European Aquatics is delighted to announce the launch of the official website for the 2026 Women’s European Water Polo Championships in Funchal, Madeira, created in collaboration with the local organising committee and the Portuguese Swimming Federation.
The comprehensive site – europeanaquatics.org/ewpc-2026/funchal/ – will serve as the central hub for all the action and news, featuring detailed results, exclusive interviews and live streaming details for the eagerly-anticipated tournament that will see Europe’s top women’s water polo players compete for glory from 26 January to 5 February 2026.
Fans will be able to follow every moment of the prestigious competition, with up-to-date stats, top-quality photography and reviews from every game. Ticket information will also be available for those eager to experience the atmosphere in person in Madeira’s historic capital.
The 2026 edition will be the 21st Women’s European Water Polo Championships, which is a milestone moment for a tournament that has grown dramatically since its debut in Oslo in 1985.
Over the years, powerhouses such as the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary and Spain have dominated the medals table, while emerging nations continue to challenge the traditional giants of the sport.
The Madeira championships – taking place at the state-of-the-art Funchal Olympic swimming pool complex – will bring together Europe’s top 16 teams, and like the men’s event, the competition will follow a new format:
- Group Stage I: Four groups of four teams, each including two sides that finished in the top eight at the 2024 Championships in Eindhoven, alongside two qualifiers. Each team will play three group games.
- Group Stage II: The top three sides from each pool will advance to the second group phase, merging into two new pools of six. Points earned in the first stage will carry over, and each team will face three new opponents.
- Final stages: The leading two nations from each group will qualify for the semi-finals (1st–4th places), while the remaining teams will fight for the classification positions.
The road to the title promises plenty of drama and entertainment, with reigning champions Netherlands looking to defend the title they spectacularly won on home soil in Eindhoven two years ago, while close rivals such as Olympic champions Spain, world champions Greece, Hungary and Italy will be determined to take their crown.
With the draw for the tournament taking place on Thursday 2 October in Funchal, all of the 16 competing teams – Netherlands, Hungary, Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Great Britain, Croatia, Portugal, Romania, Germany, Türkiye, Serbia, Switzerland, Israel, and Slovakia – are set to discover their opponents and are ready to start planning their path to the final.
More details – and live streaming details – for the 2026 Women’s European Water Polo Championships draw can be found by clicking here.
Stay tuned to the dedicated tournament website and follow the official European Aquatics Water Polo social media accounts for more news and live updates on Facebook and Instagram
Watch live water polo action and replays on European Aquatics TV
Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
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