Funchal 2026: Israel, Netherlands and Italy book their place in the next phase at European Championships
The highlight of the day was no doubt the battle between Israel and Great Britain in Group D. A place in the top eight was at stake, and it was Israel who took it with a game to spare, thanks to a mix of outstanding defending and clinical finishing. It was also the perfect revenge after the Brits denied them a place in the quarterfinals in Eindhoven two years ago. With the Netherlands also winning big on Day 2, they will advance from Group D as well. In Group C, Italy secured their place in the next phase after beating Serbia.
Women’s 2026 European Water Polo Championships – Funchal
Day 2, Tuesday 27 January
Group A
Germany 22-11 Slovakia
Greece 23-5 France
Group B
Hungary 28-3 Romania
Portugal 7-22 Spain
Group C
Italy 17-6 Serbia
Türkiye 9-16 Croatia
Group D
Netherlands 28-2 Switzerland
Israel 11-6 Great Britain
Group A
Germany 22–11 Slovakia
(7-5, 6-1, 4-1, 5-4)
Germany were caught napping a little during the early exchanges, with goals from Lenka Garancovska and Miroslava Stankovianska – a nice backhander from the centre – giving Slovakia a 0-2 lead inside 70 seconds.
This woke the Germans up, with the Deike sisters Ira (twice) and Gesa (once) replying immediately with three unanswered strikes.
A penalty from Monika Sedlokova ended the surge, but Germany converted their next two six-on-fives – through Ira Deike and Belen Vosseberg – to stay ahead.
The gap remained at two after the first quarter (7-5), with Vosseberg adding to her total with a penalty, and also a 5m shot from veteran (and former Hungary star) Barbara Bujka.
Germany started to pull away in the second quarter, with Bujka hitting two more to complete her hat-trick, and by half-time they were seven clear (13-6).
At this point, it was evident there has been much improvement in the German set-up since the last European Championships.
In Eindhoven, the two teams faced each other in the Group Stage, with Germany edging that clash 12-10, so in Funchal they had already scored more goals in 16 minutes than in the whole of that previous encounter.
A 6-0 run after 11-6 – that ended late in the third quarter – finished the contest, and Germany comfortably went on to win their first points of the tournament.
Bujka top-scored for the Germans with five goals, while Ira Deike hit four, and Gesa Deike and Vosseberg both fired in hat-tricks.
Leading the resistance for Slovakia was Stankovianska, who left the pool with a consolation five-goal haul.
Group A
Greece 23-5 France
(7-2, 7-2, 6-0, 3-1)
Greece and France have now met at major championships 14 times in recent history (since 2010), and the Greeks have won them all by at least five goals.
It was clear this run of dominant victories would continue in Funchal, and by a big margin, especially after Greece raced into a 14-4 lead by half-time.
In Hungary’s victory earlier, their coach Sandor Cseh spoke about the need for his players to maintain the highest intensity levels at all times, no matter who the opposition, and the Greeks look to be operating under the same instructions.
However, their attack wasn’t quite able to keep pushing as much in the fourth, but their defence maintained their levels, registering several key blocks to keep the French out.
Both Greece goalkeepers also impressed, with Evangelia Karytsa registering stats of 5/6 and Ioanna Stamatopoulou 7/11 from the two quarters they each played.
France, meanwhile, fought valiantly, but their sights are now on Thursday’s game against Slovakia, when they’ll be aiming to cement their place in the top eight – which has been their goal from the very beginning.
Group B
Hungary 28–3 Romania
(7-0, 7-1, 6-0, 8-2)
The last time Hungary faced Romania was at the European Championships in Split in 2022, during the group stage, and it was a game to forget for the Romanians, as they suffered a heavy 22-0 loss.
After a 7-0 opening quarter for the Hungarians in Funchal, a similar scoreline looked on the cards, but what the Romanian fans inside the arena desperately wanted to see was a goal for their team.
When Dorottya Szilagyi conceded a penalty with 2:42 remaining in the first quarter, it looked like the Romanians were going to get it, but Krisztina-Emese Szeghalmi’s shot was beaten away by Szonja Golopencza.
Two minutes and 10 seconds into the second quarter, the long – four-year – wait was over, and Romania finally got their breakthrough against the Magyars.
It was scored by Nikolette Laboncz, who received the ball at the far post and sent a delicate lob shot over the sinking Golopencza, who just failed to reach the ball.
Meanwhile, Hungary’s grip on the game showed no sign of loosening, and by half-time they were soaring away at 14-1.
Coach Sandor Cseh used the opportunity to fine-tune some of his team’s defensive formations and also work on transitions, and they were executing them perfectly, especially when five-on-six.
Ana-Maria Serbanescu added a second and third goal for Romania in the fourth, but they couldn’t find another way past the dominant Hungarians, who maintained their high-intensity levels throughout and look to have the medal podium firmly in their sights.
Group B
Portugal 7-22 Spain
(1-5, 2-5, 2-7, 2-5)
Hosts Portugal, fresh from their victory against Romania, knew they would face an uphill battle against their illustrious neighbours, Spain, especially as they were hurting after their loss to Hungary.
And so it immediately proved, as an Irene Gonzales counter-attack goal and a Bea Ortiz penalty put the favourites 2-0 up inside three minutes.
One of the quieter success stories emerging from Funchal is the performances of Portugal’s Maria Machado, and she cut the deficit with a neat finish, which was met by loud roars from the crowd.
On Monday, Machado hit four against Romania, and in the end, she scored three more against the mighty Spanish on Tuesday.
By half-time, Spain were out of sight at 3-10, with four goals coming from fast breaks, which was an ominous sign of what was to come.
It should have been five counter-attack goals, but Portugal goalkeeper Maria Sampaio closed down Queralt Bertran superbly to beat away her point-blank shot.
With the result never in danger, the last two periods were another showcase of Spain’s power, as they fired in seven in the third and five in the fourth.
It was a valiant display from the Portuguese, who were defending with everything they had at times, but the Spanish were far too strong and ultimately romped to their first win in Funchal.
Group C
Italy 17-6 Serbia
(5-2, 5-1, 4-2, 3-1)
Italy have faced Serbia twice before at the European Championships, with the Italians dominating on both occasions – in 2016 in Belgrade (19-3) and in 2022 in Split (23-7). In Funchal, the outcome was no different.
Carlo Silipo’s squad roared into a 10-3 lead by half-time, as the Serbian defence was powerless to stop the Italians’ well-rehearsed plays and precision shots.
With the game decided, the levels dropped a little after the long break, but the goals kept coming for Italy, with Serbian keeper Maja Dulic cutting a forlorn figure after retrieving the ball from her net for a 14th time by the end of the third.
By the end, eight different Italians were on the scoresheet, with Claudia Marletta, Roberta Bianconi and Sofia Giustini leading the charge with three goals each.
One positive for the Serbians was Ana Milicevic – their top scorer in Eindhoven – opening her account in Funchal. After failing with all eight of her shots against Türkiye on Monday, she finally found her range, firing in a consolation hat-trick (from nine shots).
With Italy now on six points, and with Serbia and Croatia – who they have already beaten – facing off on Thursday, it means they’re guaranteed to finish top of the group.
Group C
Türkiye 9-16 Croatia
(4-2, 2-5, 2-4, 1-5)
Croatia recovered from a slow start to surge to their third successive victory against Türkiye at a European Championships.
Their previous two clashes came in 2016 and 2018, in which they fought to avoid finishing last in Belgrade and Barcelona.
In Funchal, it was the Turks who looked more up for the battle in the opening eight minutes and fought their way to a 4-2 lead.
Croatia’s Neli Jankovic struck first in the second quarter to cut the deficit, and Iva Rozic finished off a nice counter to make it 4-4.
Elvira Yermakova then nudged Türkiye back in front, before Dora Kangler scored from the centre to square things up again.
Moments later, Yelizaveta Ivanova hit her second of the game, but little did the Turks know that it would be their last goal for more than 11 long minutes (11:12).
In that time, Croatia hit five without reply, as they started to stamp their authority on the game.
When Jelena Butic fired in for 6-10 midway through the third, the belief looked to have all but gone from the Turks.
Türkiye coach Piotr Marcoci had seen enough and called a time-out, and his words had some effect, as his team finally ended their long drought through Milana Molnar on extra.
By the end of the third, the gap remained at three (8-11), but once Croatia hit the first two goals of the fourth, their job was pretty much done.
Türkiye did manage one more, but Croatia added three, ensuring they set up a do-or-die clash with neighbours Serbia on Thursday.
Group D
Netherlands 28–2 Switzerland
(10-1, 7-0, 7-0, 4-1)
The dominant Dutch delivered their expected win, and did so in emphatic fashion.
After their struggles in the second half against Great Britain on Monday, the title-holders immediately got to work dismantling Switzerland.
Ten Dutch goals in the first quarter (a record at this tournament to date) set the tone and showed the gulf in class between the two sides, who were meeting for the first time at a European Championships.
After showing some signs of nerves against Israel in their opener, Switzerland were at least playing more freely, and that was evident when captain Paola De Feo found space down the left and scored after four minutes with a neat finish into the far corner.
One of the biggest cheers of the game also came in the first quarter, when Swiss keeper Leah Friedman rose majestically to deny Pien Gorter in a one-on-one from point-blank range.
By half-time, the Netherlands led 17-1 and 24-1 after the third, as the Dutch kept driving forward in an effort to build up some rhythm for the tougher battles ahead.
In the end, they stopped at 28 (another record at this competition to date), while the Swiss were able to add one more late in the fourth – a second for De Feo – which was celebrated like a winner.
The Swiss may not be winning in the pool, but they’re definitely winning in the stands, as a sea of red was again in attendance, cheering every shot, steal and save.
Group D
Israel 11-6 Great Britain
(2-1, 2-1, 4-2, 3-2)
There is plenty of history between these two teams, and this high-stakes clash – that decided who advanced to the top eight alongside the Netherlands – had a similar feel to their meeting in Eindhoven two years ago, when a place in the quarter-finals was on the line.
In 2024, it was Great Britain who ultimately triumphed after a thrilling game that was decided by penalties.
This time, it was Israel who celebrated at the end, with Alma Yaacobi – who was suspended for that key meeting two years ago – gaining a spot of revenge for her team, top-scoring with four goals.
Both sides’ defensive plans were working well in the first half, starving the centres of any significant possession, but Israel were edging it, thanks to their more clinical finishing.
The goalkeepers were also playing their part – Great Britain’s Cassidy Ball came up with a huge save to deny Miya Tirosh from the left wing early in the second quarter, then Israel’s Roni Kakuzin produced an equally spectacular save to deny Toula Falvey from point-blank range.
Ball’s saves even seemed to be deterring the Israelis from making further shots, but it was just they were waiting for the right moment, and Noga Levinshtein put Israel two ahead (4-2) with a pinpoint shot with 55 seconds remaining in the half.
With the third and fourth quarters following a similar pattern, Israel were gradually opening up a substantial lead – and also capitalising on several turnover fouls.
The door was slammed shut on the Brits early in the fourth, as Yaacobi completed her hat-trick to make it 9-4, and GB star Lily Turner received her third major foul shortly after.
In the end, Israel won by five, which was a great reward for their efforts, and there were scenes of absolute joy from their bench as they celebrated reaching the top eight alongside the Dutch.
At the other end, the scene told a different story…
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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics
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