2026 Men’s European Water Polo Championships draw units up an exciting event

Belgrade’s magnificent White Palace witnessed the draw for the 2026 Men’s European Water Polo Championships on Saturday. The group stage will hearth up the occasion, which begins on 10 January, with the preliminary part promising an actual feast of fierce encounters.

After the welcome speeches by European Aquatics President Antonio Silva and Serbian WP Federation President and LOC Chair Viktor Jelenic, two legends of Serbian water polo took to the stage – Milan Aleksic and Filip Filipovic.

Aleksic and Filipovic are each double Olympic and World champions and so they’ve additionally gained quite a few European titles throughout their illustrious careers, however this time their palms had been intently adopted for different causes than their good outdated fakes and shot-making.

The legendary duo helped conduct the eagerly-awaited draw, along with the European Aquatics Technical Water Polo Committee Secretary Matjaz Rakovec and the end result guarantees thrilling clashes proper from the opening day on 10 January.

With the brand new format for these Europeans, all of the group video games will likely be vastly vital because the advancing groups will carry their preliminary outcomes into the subsequent part.

In Group Stage II, the groups could have three extra matches versus three different advancing sides and on the finish solely the highest two from every group will progress to the semi-finals.

Under these laws, it’s clear the bracket with the potential advancing sides from Group A and C will provide thrillers within the group after which within the following stage too.

Montenegro and World Championships runners-up Hungary had been drawn collectively in Group A, whereas World champions Spain and hosts and Olympic champions Serbia had been positioned in Group C, so we’re more likely to witness a re-match of the World Championship ultimate between Hungary and Spain in Group Stage II.

Only two of those 4 will be capable of make the semis – three of the 4 Singapore semi-finalists from earlier this yr – however, after all, France may also fancy their probabilities of making a shock go to to the rostrum.

The conflict of Croatia and Greece in Group B will likely be one other spotlight throughout the first days of the competitors – as these two groups had been additionally in the identical group in Split 2022 – and within the subsequent spherical each are more likely to have a showdown in opposition to Italy.

A Greek v Italian rematch of the World Championship quarters can be an enormous match to observe – and once more, solely two of these three giants can keep alive and play for the medals.

The Belgrade Arena, which was additionally the location of the 2016 version and noticed a world-record attendance of 18,500 followers on the grand ultimate between Serbia and Montenegro, will host the showcase from 10-25 January.

The ladies’s occasion shall be staged individually, in Funchal, Portugal, on 26 January-4 February, and the draw for that event is about to happen on 2 October in Madeira.

Men’s European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade

Group Stage

Group A: Malta, France, Montenegro, Hungary

Group B: Slovenia, Greece, Croatia, Georgia

Group C: Netherlands, Israel, Serbia, Spain

Group D: Turkiye, Romania, Italy, Slovakia

First three groups advance from every group

In Group Stage II, the qualifying groups from Group A and C, and from Group B and D will play in opposition to one another.

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics