Funchal 2026: Great Britain edge thriller with Serbia to secure ninth place

Great Britain had to dig deep – and survive a four-minute exclusion – to get the better of Serbia in an end-to-end classic that went right down to the wire. Serbia fought back to level at 9-9 late in the fourth, before Katy Cutler punched the air with delight after scoring what proved to be the winner with just 23 seconds remaining. Earlier in the other classification finals, Germany edged the hosts, Portugal, Türkiye outclassed Switzerland, and Slovakia downed Romania.

Women’s 2026 European Water Polo Championships – Funchal
Day 8, Monday 2 February

Classification finals

9th/10th

Serbia 9-10 Great Britain

11th/12th

Germany 13-12 Portugal

13th/14th

Türkiye 19-8 Switzerland

15th/16th

Slovakia 16-12 Romania

Classification finals

9th/10th

Serbia 9-10 Great Britain
(1-1, 3-3, 2-3, 3-3)

This might not have been the classification final Great Britain were hoping to contest in Funchal – after finishing 7th in Eindhoven – but they were still determined to end their campaign on a high.

The Brits squandered their first two six-on-fives, but the Serbians made no mistake from theirs, with Hristina Ilic firing her shot past Cassidy Ball to open the scoring.

Great Britain captain Kathy Rogers soon levelled from their next extra with a neat tap-in at the near post, before Katie Brown thought she had edged the Brits in front, but a VAR review ruled her shot hadn’t crossed the line.

After the first break, Lily Turner did put the Brits ahead from a penalty, and with 2:03 remaining, Katy Cutler looked to have made it three, but a VAR challenge showed Izzy Howe had struck her marker in the build-up and was excluded for four minutes – and Cutler’s goal was chalked off.

Jovana Radonjic buried the resulting penalty for 2-2, but another VAR review went in favour of the Brits, with Falvey adjudged to have been fouled on 2m and a penalty awarded, which Turner hammered in for 2-3.

Nana Mandic levelled for Serbia, then Turner unleashed a sensational helicopter shot from 6m that hit the post and needed VAR to prove it had crossed the line.

By this time, the teams had already swapped ends for half-time, so the last 18 seconds of the period were replayed, with Ana Milicevic equalising for 4-4 just before the ‘real’ long break.

At the start of the third, Cutler finally got her goal, arrowing in a fierce shot on extra just after the Brits had returned to full strength.

Jelena Vukovic slammed in a penalty, before goals from Lucy Blenkinship and Harriet Dickens – both on extra – gave the Brits a two-goal cushion (5-7).

Vukovic then pulled one back with a delicate lob, making it a one-goal game heading into a tense final eight minutes.

In the fourth, Elena Cuk finished off a well-worked six-on-five for 7-7, but Dickens responded by rifling in a penalty, then Turner found space on the left in their next extra to power the ball in for 7-9.

With 3:11 on the clock, Cuk reduced the gap to one, setting up a nervy last few minutes, then Sesilija Diaz Mesa overpowered her marker in the centre for 9-9 with 1:53 remaining.

After a time-out, Cutler smashed in a stunning six-on-five shot from the left that skipped off the water and into the roof of the net with just 23 seconds left to play, sparking wild celebrations in the pool and stands, and it proved to be the winner.

Classification finals

11th/12th

Germany 13-12 Portugal
(5-3, 3-2, 1-5, 4-2)

After featuring in two shootouts in Group Stage II, Germany just missed out on a place in the 9th/10th final, so had to settle for a clash against the hosts, Portugal, and fight for 11th place again – the same position they finished in Eindhoven.

Germany captain Gesa Deike opened the scoring from the centre, then Portugal captain Ines Nunes replied instantly from their first extra, tapping in at the far post.

With Gesa Deike burying a penalty, Belen Vosseberg swimming through for a simple finish from the right, Emiliia Khmil firing in on extra, and Georgia Sopiadou forcing the ball home from 2m, the Germans were 5-3 up at the first break.

Maria Machado – the hosts’ top shooter in Funchal – and Beatriz Pereira were Portugal’s scorers as they fell two behind and were chasing the game.

Carolina Fernandes struck at the start of the second period to put the Portuguese within one (5-4), but the Germans hit three more to move three clear by half-time (8-5).

The home crowd were on their feet early in the third, with Madalena Lousa, Nunes and Machado all striking within three minutes to level the scores at 8-8, prompting Germany coach Karsten Seehafer to immediately call a time-out.

His words failed to stop the tide, though, as suddenly the hosts were in front, with Pereira flashing in a shot to finish off a swift counter down the left wing.

Germany veteran Barbara Bujka did manage to break the hosts’ momentum, albeit briefly, slamming in a penalty to equalise with 4:19 left in the quarter.

However, Pereira had the last say of the period, rifling in a 6m shot that flew into the bottom left corner to nudge Portugal ahead by the last break (9-10).

A tense fourth quarter began with both sides scoring, before Ira Deike was on target from a six-on-five to tie the scores once again (11-11).

Ira’s sister, Gesa, then hammered in with 1:09 on the clock, and Aylin Fry sealed the win with a powerful shot with just 19 seconds remaining (13-11).

There was still time for a late consolation goal from Machado, who ended the game with five goals – taking her total in Funchal to 18 – but it was the Germans who swam away with the narrow victory and 11th place.

After the game, Portugal captain Ines Nunes emotionally confirmed her retirement from the national team on the presentation stage, where she received a collection of special gifts to celebrate her international career.

Classification finals

13th/14th

Türkiye 19-8 Switzerland
(4-4, 7-1, 2-0, 6-3)

Türkiye started their final with Switzerland looking to match the 13th-place finish they had in Eindhoven two years ago, while the Swiss were aiming to end their campaign fourth from last, which would have been their best-ever performance at a European Championships.

In the opening quarter, the Swiss edged ahead 3-4, but the Turks hit back, scoring four without reply to go 7-4 up midway through the second period.

Switzerland’s Jacqueline Kohli rifled in from a six-on-five to momentarily disrupt Türkiye’s surge, but Milana Molnar soon replied with a fierce shot from the perimeter to reset the Turks’ three-goal advantage.

Kubra Kus converted a penalty, Dilara Burali tapped in at the far post, and Defne Keremoglu then struck from the centre to put the Turks firmly in control at half-time, 11-5.

By the end of the third, Türkiye had moved eight clear at 13-5, as their defence completely shut the Swiss down.

The game may have been lost, but there were at least three more opportunities for the passionate Swiss fans in the stands to celebrate, as Melanie Adler, Samira Schwab and Lena Oberli fired in late consolation strikes.

At the other end, the Turks added six more, with Molnar finishing the game as their top scorer with four goals, while captain Burali and Kus each hit three.

Classification finals

15th/16th

Slovakia 16-12 Romania
(4-2, 5-4, 3-2, 4-4)

Monday’s opening classification final – for 15th place – was a close battle between Slovakia and Romania, with both teams searching for their first victory in Funchal.

The two sides had met once before at a European Championships, in Split in 2022, which was also a clash to decide the last two positions, with Romania winning that encounter 9-5.

In the opening quarter here, Slovakia captain Monika Sedlakova was allowed far too much space by the Romanian defence, as she arrowed four shots into the corners to help guide her team to a 4-2 lead at the first break.

The Sedlakova show continued in the second period, as she struck twice more, while a neat left-wing finish from Lea Drzikova on extra, and two goals from Karin Kackova, set the half-time score at 9-6.

Slovakia had stretched the gap to four by the last break (12-8), and remained relatively untroubled in the fourth, as they closed the game out to avoid last place, and match their final ranking from Eindhoven.

Sedlakova took her tournament tally to 19 after finishing the game with nine, which was a joint record in Funchal for the most goals scored in a single match, equalling the total Kitty Lynn Joustra hit against Switzerland on Day 2.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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