Funchal 2026: European Water Polo Championships Day 2 match previews

Match previews, Day 2 – Tuesday 27 January
(Local times shown)

Group D

9:00 Netherlands v Switzerland

• This clash will be the first time these two teams have met at the European Championships.

• Fifth-place finishes for the reigning European champions Netherlands at the past two World Championships suggest some vulnerability, but few would bet against them finishing on the podium in Funchal.

• Netherlands are missing Vivian Sevenich and Marit van der Weijden, who are both recovering from surgery and are back home working on their recovery. In addition, Sabrina van der Sloot, a key member of the Dutch national team for 16 years and joint top scorer for the Netherlands at the 2024 Europeans in Eindhoven with 14 goals (tied with Lieke Rogge and Simone van der Kraats), recently announced her pregnancy and is not in Funchal.

• Having last appeared at the European Championships in 1995, the Swiss are bringing fresh enthusiasm to Funchal – notably in the stands. The task now is to translate that energy into competitiveness against Europe’s elite.

• On Day 1, the Netherlands beat Great Britain 14-4, while Switzerland lost to Israel 9-24.

Group A

10:30 Germany v Slovakia

• Germany and Slovakia were also drawn in the same group at the 2024 European Championships in Eindhoven, with Germany edging the clash 12-10. Slovakia’s Monika Sedlakova and Germany’s Belen Vosseberg were the game’s joint top scorers, with four goals each. These two teams also met in the 2022 European qualifiers, with the Germans also triumphing on that occasion, 12-4.

• Under the new stewardship of former Waspo 98 coach Karsten Seehafer, Germany comfortably qualified for Funchal – dispatching Türkiye and Malta in Hannover without fuss.

• With attacking options like Belen Vosseberg, who plays for CN Catalunya in Spain and was the joint top scorer at the last Euros in Eindhoven (with 21 goals, tied with Hungary’s Rita Keszthelyi and Romania’s Alina-Ioana Olteanu), Germany have the firepower to cause teams plenty of problems.

• Hosting their European qualification group in Novaky proved successful for Slovakia, with a 16-7 win over Sweden securing their place in Funchal behind Israel. Slovakia are aiming to be competitive and an improvement on their 2024 finish (15th) should be deemed a success.

• On Day 1, Slovakia lost to Greece 24-7, and Germany lost to France 13-11.

Group C

12:15 Italy v Serbia

• 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).

• Italy’s joy in 2012 in Eindhoven – when they last won the European Championships – feels a distant echo after their fourth-place finish in the same pool in 2024. Disappointing seventh-place finishes at both the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, coupled with sixth at the Olympics and 2025 World Cup, have raised further questions.

• In the qualification tournament in Novi Sad, Ana Milicevic was Serbia’s standout performer, firing in 15 goals across three games.

• Serbia’s Milicevic was also one of the top scorers at the 2024 Europeans in Eindhoven, finishing joint fourth in the rankings with 20 goals (tied with Türkiye’s Kubra Kus, and just one goal behind the joint leaders – Hungary’s Rita Keszthelyi, Germany’s Belen Vosseberg and Romania’s Alina-Ioana Olteanu, who each fired in 21 goals).

• On Day 1, Serbia beat Türkiye 9-8, and Italy downed Croatia 24-12.

Group B

13:45 Hungary v Romania

• Hungary and Romania last clashed at the European Championships in Split in 2022 during the Group Stage. It was a game to forget for the Romanians, as they suffered a heavy 22-0 loss. Unfortunately for Romania, it wasn’t their only scoreless encounter during that tournament, as they also lost 28-0 to the Netherlands in the Group Stage.

• Romania have had a change of head coach since Eindhoven 2024, with Edward Andrei taking over the reins. Andrei has great experience as a player as he was a member of the Romanian men’s team that finished 11th at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He has also worked as the coach of Romania’s national age-group teams.

• Hungary star Rita Keszthelyi, 34, was named Most Valuable Player at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, where she guided her nation to a second successive silver medal.

• On Day 1, Hungary lost to Spain 9-7, and Romania lost to Portugal 12-7.

Group D

15:30 Israel v Great Britain

• Israel and Great Britain clashed in an epic encounter at the European Championships in 2024 during the play-offs for a place in the quarter-finals. Great Britain triumphed 5-4 in a shootout after the game finished 9-9.

• Great Britain’s Amelia Peters scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Israel, while goalkeeper Sophie Jackson saved Dina Namakshtansky’s shot in the fourth round.

• In the same clash, Great Britain’s American born Toula Falvey – who plays for CN Catalunya in Spain – scored with 3:40 remaining in regular time to level the scores at 9-9 and ultimately send the game to a shootout. The 25-year-old centre also top scored in the match with three goals.

• Also in that encounter, Israel were missing one of their star players, Alma Yaacobi, after she received a red card in their previous game against France with just three seconds remaining on the clock in the fourth quarter.

• On Day 1, Great Britain lost to the Netherlands 14-4, while Israel beat Switzerland 24-9.

Group A

17:00 Greece v France

• Since 2010, Greece and France have met 13 times in major competitions, with Greece winning comfortably by five goals or more on each occasion. Their last clash came at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, where Greece triumphed 23-9. World Aquatics Player of the Year Foteini Tricha top scored in that game with five goals.   

• Fresh from a magnificent double triumph in 2025 – sweeping the World Championships and World Cup titles by beating Hungary in both finals – Greece are flying high, full of confidence, and aiming to end their long wait for their first European gold.

• France’s sixth-place finish in Eindhoven in 2024 improved on a long streak of sevenths (2014-2022), and was a cause for optimism ahead of the Paris Olympics. A memorable win over Italy there was another positive, even though they failed to make the knockout phase. Results at global level – 13th and 12th at the recent World Championships – show their progress remains gradual, for now, and a return to the French glory days of the late Eighties still seems a way off.

• France warmed up for Funchal by taking part in a three-team tournament with Croatia and Great Britain in Zagreb at the start of January, where they lost all four games. Croatia defeated them 17-9 and 18-9, while they were beaten 20-3 and 18-9 by Great Britain.   

• On Day 1, Greece beat Slovakia 24-7, while France edged Germany 13-11.

Group C

18:45 Türkiye v Croatia

•  The last two clashes between Türkiye and Croatia came at the 2016 and 2018 European Championships (when 12 teams competed). In Belgrade, they met in 11th/12th final, where Croatia won 12-4, and in Barcelona, they also contested the 11th/12th final, with Croatia winning again 11-6 to avoid finishing last.

• Water polo in Türkiye is on the rise, with last season’s Challenger Cup final seeing Izmir Buyuksehir SK retain the trophy they won in 2024 by beating domestic rivals Galatasaray Zena 9-8 in the final in Istanbul.

• Long overshadowed by their celebrated men’s team, Croatia’s women have begun carving out a reputation of their own. Successive eighth-place finishes at the last two European Championships matched their best-ever result (in 2010) and hints at further potential. The Butic sisters – Jelena and Magdalena – alongside the impressive Iva Rozic, are leading a talented, emerging generation.

• On Day 1, Türkiye lost to Serbia 9-8, while Croatia were beaten 24-12 by Italy.

Group B

20:15 Portugal v Spain

• Despite being neighbours on the Iberian Peninsula, there is no rich water polo history between the two nations. Their only recent meeting came at the 2018 Mediterranean Games, held in Tarragona, Spain, where the Spanish beat Portugal 27-6 in the Group Stage before going on to claim the gold by beating Italy 9-8 in the final.

• Portugal are hosting the European Championships for the first time and return to Europe’s top table for the first time since 2016, when they finished 10th. This will be only their fourth appearance.

• With bronze medals at the 2024 and 2025 World Championships, as well as Olympic gold in 2024, Spain have developed a habit of standing on recent podiums.

• Several players on the Spanish roster – Queralt Anton I Boixadera, Ariadna Ruiz, Elena Ruiz, Nona Perez, Paula Crespi, Paula Camus and goalkeeper Martina Terre – all tasted Champions League glory with CN Sant Andreu last summer, beating domestic rivals Astralpool CN Sabadell 8-9 in the final in Athens, Greece.

• Spain’s Nona Perez fired in a hat-trick in the 2025 Champions League final for Sant Andreu against Sabadell. Queralt Anton I Boixadera also scored two in the final, while Ariadna Ruiz, Elena Ruiz and Paula Camus all scored one each. It was Queralt Anton I Boixadera’s second goal – with just two seconds remaining in the game – that won the game.

• On Day 1, Portugal beat Romania 12-7, while Spain lost to Hungary 9-7.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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