2026 Women's European Water Polo Championship Qualifiers

2026 Women's European Water Polo Championship Qualifiers
Tournament details
Host country	Setúbal; Hannover; Novi Sad; Nováky
Dates	6–8 June
Teams	13
Tournament statistics
Matches played	15
Goals scored	388 (25.87 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Ana Milićević (15 goals)
	← 2024 2028 →

The 2026 Women's European Water Polo Championship Qualifiers were organised by European Aquatics and held between 6 and 8 June 2025 in four different centralised locations.^[1] The qualifiers determined the eight women's water polo national teams that would join the eight automatically qualified teams at the final tournament.

Qualified teams

Team	Qualification method	Date of qualification	App	First	Last	Streak	Best placement in tournament	Rank^[2]
Greece	Top eight in 2024	6 January 2024	19th	1989	2024	19	Runners-up (2010, 2012, 2018, 2022)	TBD
Italy			19th	1989		19	Champions (1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2012)	TBD
Netherlands			21st	1985		21	Champions (1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2018, 2024)	TBD
Spain			17th	1993		17	Champions (2014, 2020, 2022)	TBD
Croatia		8 January 2024	7th	2010		6	Eighth place (2022, 2024)	TBD
France			17th	1985		7	Third place (1987, 1989)	TBD
Great Britain			10th			2	Sixth place (1985)	TBD
Hungary			21st			21	Champions (1991, 2001, 2016)	TBD
Portugal	Top two in Group A	7 June 2025	4th	1995	2016	1	Tenth place (2016)	TBD
Romania	Top two in Group A		3rd	2022	2024	3	Eleventh place (2022)	TBD
Israel	Top two in Group D		5th	2018		5	Sixth place (2022)	TBD
Slovakia	Top two in Group D		5th	1993		4	Eighth place (2020)	TBD
Germany	Top two in Group B		20th	1985		6	Third place (1985)	TBD
Türkiye	Top two in Group B		4th	2016		2	Twelfth place (2016, 2018)	TBD
Serbia	Top two in Group C		7th	2006		6	Eighth place (2006)	TBD
Switzerland	Top two in Group C	8 June 2025	3rd	1993	1995	1	Tenth place (1993)	TBD

Format

The 13 teams were split into four groups of three and four. The tournament played at a single venue with the group winners and the second-ranked teams qualified for the final tournament.^[1]

Draw

The draw took place on 3 March 2025 in Zagreb.^[1]

Seeding

Pot 1	Pot 2	Pot 3	Pot 4	Pot 5
Serbia (H) Germany (H) Slovakia (H) Portugal (H)	Israel Czechia	Türkiye Romania	Malta Switzerland Ukraine	Finland Sweden

Draw results

Bold text indicates who qualified.

Group A
Team
Czechia
Romania
Portugal

Group B
Team
Germany
Türkiye
Malta

Group C
Team
Serbia
Switzerland
Ukraine
Finland

Group D
Team
Israel
Slovakia
Sweden

Referees

Thirteen referees were selected to officiate at the Qualifiers.^[3]

Group A
Referees
Israel	Ayal Gabel
Serbia	Lazar Andjelić
Switzerland	Massimo Castrilli

Group B
Referees
Czechia	Jakub Nečas
Romania	Alexandru-Andrei Mustata
Sweden	Alexandros Vlastos

Group C
Referees
Germany	Richard Noack
Malta	Stefan Licari
Slovakia	Martina Kuníková
Türkiye	İlkin Çakmakoğlu

Group D
Referees
Finland	Antti Ruohonen
Portugal	Luis Santos
Ukraine	Anna Goncharenko

Summary

Group winners and runners-up qualified directly for 2026 Women's European Water Polo Championship

Other teams were eliminated

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D
Portugal Romania	Germany Türkiye	Serbia Switzerland	Israel Slovakia
Czechia	Malta	Ukraine	Sweden
		Finland

Groups

All times are local.

Group A

6–8 June, Setúbal, Portugal.^[4]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Portugal (H)	2	2	0	31	19	+12	6	Final tournament
2	Romania	2	1	1	19	24	−5	3	Final tournament
3	Czechia	2	0	2	23	30	−7	0

Source: European Aquatics
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.
(H) Host

6 June 2025 15:00	Report	Czechia	12–18	Portugal	Manteigadas Municipal Swimming Pool, Setúbal Referees: Lazar Andjelić (SRB), Massimo Castrilli (SUI)
		Score by quarters: 6–4, 2–6, 2–4, 2–4
		Bušauerová 5	Goals	Fernandes, Lousa 4

7 June 2025 15:00	Report	Czechia	11–12	Romania	Manteigadas Municipal Swimming Pool, Setúbal Referees: Lazar Andjelić (SRB), Ayal Gabel (ISR)
		Score by quarters: 2–4, 3–3, 3–2, 3–3
		J. Holá 3	Goals	Nagy, Szeghalmi 3

8 June 2025 10:00	Report	Romania	7–13	Portugal	Manteigadas Municipal Swimming Pool, Setúbal Referees: Massimo Castrilli (SUI), Ayal Gabel (ISR)
		Score by quarters: 1–3, 1–4, 0–2, 5–4
		Szeghalmi 3	Goals	Machado, Lousa 3

Group B

6–8 June, Hanover, Germany.^[5]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Germany (H)	2	2	0	29	11	+18	6	Final tournament
2	Türkiye	2	1	1	30	22	+8	3	Final tournament
3	Malta	2	0	2	9	35	−26	0

Source: European Aquatics
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.
(H) Host

6 June 2025 19:00	Report	Germany	14–2	Malta	Volksbad Limmer, Hanover Referees: Alexandros Vlastos (SWE), Jakub Nečas (CZE)
		Score by quarters: 3–0, 2–0, 5–1, 4–1
		G. Deike 5	Goals	Borg 2

7 June 2025 19:00	Report	Malta	7–21	Türkiye	Volksbad Limmer, Hanover Referees: Alexandru-Andrei Mustata (ROU), Jakub Nečas (CZE)
		Score by quarters: 3–5, 2–9, 1–3, 1–4
		Borg 2	Goals	Buralı 4

8 June 2025 13:00	Report	Germany	15–9	Türkiye	Volksbad Limmer, Hanover Referees: Alexandros Vlastos (SWE), Alexandru-Andrei Mustata (ROU)
		Score by quarters: 8–4, 2–1, 3–3, 2–1
		G. Deike 5	Goals	Dabbağ 3

Group C

6–8 June, Novi Sad, Serbia.^[6]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Serbia (H)	3	3	0	72	16	+56	9	Final tournament
2	Switzerland	3	2	1	38	40	−2	6	Final tournament
3	Ukraine	3	1	2	29	35	−6	3
4	Finland	3	0	3	23	71	−48	0

Source: European Aquatics
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.
(H) Host

6 June 2025 18:00	Report	Serbia	18–2	Ukraine	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: Martina Kuníková (SVK), Stefan Licari (MLT)
		Score by quarters: 3–0, 4–0, 5–1, 6–1
		Ilić, Milićević 4	Goals	Lytvyniuk, Tymoshenko 1

6 June 2025 19:45	Report	Switzerland	21–9	Finland	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: İlkin Çakmakoğlu (TUR)
		Score by quarters: 7–2, 6–1, 4–2, 4–4
		Verhagen 6	Goals	Alava, Kaipainen 3

7 June 2025 18:00	Report	Serbia	24–7	Switzerland	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: Martina Kuníková (SVK), Richard Noach (GER)
		Score by quarters: 4–3, 7–2, 7–1, 6–1
		Diaz Mesa, Milićević 5	Goals	Verhagen 2

7 June 2025 19:45	Report	Ukraine	20–7	Finland	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: İlkin Çakmakoğlu (TUR), Stefan Licari (MLT)
		Score by quarters: 3–2, 6–3, 6–1, 5–1
		Belinska 5	Goals	Suvanto 2

8 June 2025 11:00	Report	Ukraine	7–10	Switzerland	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: Martina Kuníková (SVK), İlkin Çakmakoğlu (TUR)
		Score by quarters: 0–1, 2–4, 2–4, 3–1
		Zelenko 3	Goals	Kohli 4

8 June 2025 12:45	Report	Serbia	30–7	Finland	Slana Bara, Novi Sad Referees: Richard Noach (GER), Stefan Licari (MLT)
		Score by quarters: 5–1, 11–1, 8–3, 6–2
		Milićević 6	Goals	Kaipainen 3

Group D

6–8 June, Nováky, Slovakia.^[7]^[8]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Israel	2	2	0	43	19	+24	6	Final tournament
2	Slovakia (H)	2	1	1	27	28	−1	3	Final tournament
3	Sweden	2	0	2	15	38	−23	0

Source: European Aquatics
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) Goal difference.
(H) Host

6 June 2025 18:00	Report	Israel	22–8	Sweden	National Water Polo Centre, Nováky Referees: Anna Goncharenko (UKR), Jarkko Virtanen (FIN)
		Score by quarters: 8–1, 5–3, 6–2, 3–2
		Bogachenko 4	Goals	Hassler, Hazell 2

7 June 2025 18:00	Report	Slovakia	16–7	Sweden	National Water Polo Centre, Nováky Referees: Jarkko Virtanen (FIN), Luis Santos (POR)
		Score by quarters: 3–2, 4–1, 4–2, 5–2
		Kolářová 4	Goals	Lindman Long 3

8 June 2025 11:00	Report	Slovakia	11–21	Israel	National Water Polo Centre, Nováky Referees: Luis Santos (POR), Anna Goncharenko (UKR)
		Score by quarters: 1–5, 2–4, 5–5, 3–7
		Sedláková 3	Goals	Markovsky, Rahoum 4

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Pathway to 2026 European Water Polo Championships decided". europeanaquatics.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.
^ "Women Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". February 20, 2023.
^ "Qualification Tournaments for the Women's European Water Polo Championships 2026 – WWR – World Waterpolo Referee Association".
^ "Seleção Feminina de Polo Aquático Intensifica Preparação para a Qualificação Europeia". www.fpnatacao.pt.
^ "Heimspiel in Hannover: Deutschlands Wasserballerinnen wollen zur EM". Deutscher Schwimm-Verband e.V.
^ "Vaterpolo Srbija - Serbia Water Polo: Miloš Bradić saopštio spisak igračica za kvalifikacioni turnir u Novom Sadu". w5.waterpoloserbia.org.
^ "Trénerka našich vodných pólistiek Cinzia Ragusa pred kvalifikáciou v Novákoch: ,, Dať súperkám jasne najavo, kto je tu doma!"". swimmsvk.sk.
^ "Slovenské vodnopólové reprezentantky v príprave na kvalifikáciu o postup na ME v Novákoch". swimmsvk.sk.

External links

Official website

[Format-1] "Pathway to 2026 European Water Polo Championships decided". europeanaquatics.org. Retrieved 3 March 2025.

[2] "Women Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". February 20, 2023.

[3] "Qualification Tournaments for the Women's European Water Polo Championships 2026 – WWR – World Waterpolo Referee Association".

[4] "Seleção Feminina de Polo Aquático Intensifica Preparação para a Qualificação Europeia". www.fpnatacao.pt.

[5] "Heimspiel in Hannover: Deutschlands Wasserballerinnen wollen zur EM". Deutscher Schwimm-Verband e.V.

[6] "Vaterpolo Srbija - Serbia Water Polo: Miloš Bradić saopštio spisak igračica za kvalifikacioni turnir u Novom Sadu". w5.waterpoloserbia.org.

[7] "Trénerka našich vodných pólistiek Cinzia Ragusa pred kvalifikáciou v Novákoch: ,, Dať súperkám jasne najavo, kto je tu doma!"". swimmsvk.sk.

[8] "Slovenské vodnopólové reprezentantky v príprave na kvalifikáciu o postup na ME v Novákoch". swimmsvk.sk.

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