Prepare for thrilling upsets and nail-biting finishes! The Belgrade 2026 Men’s European Water Polo Championships are about to explode onto the scene, and Day 1 promises a series of clashes that could rewrite the history books. Get ready for a deep dive into the opening matches, where legacies will be tested and new heroes will emerge.
Men’s European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade 2026
Match Previews, Day 1 – Saturday 10 January (local times shown)
Group A
15.15 Hungary v France
Hungary isn't just participating; they're celebrating a century of dominance! They're commemorating the 100th anniversary of their first European title, won in Budapest way back in 1926. With a staggering 13 titles and 26 medals overall (13 gold, 7 silver, 6 bronze), they top the all-time medal chart. Since 1993, their modern era performance has been equally impressive, with only one missed semi-final appearance in 16 editions (that blip was in 2018). They’ve snagged a medal a whopping 13 times, with two agonizing 4th place finishes in 2010 and most recently in 2024. Are they destined for gold again, or is an upset brewing?
France, on the other hand, had a promising start with a silver medal in 1927 during their debut. They consistently placed in the top 8 until 1958, but then faced a long drought before finally breaking back into the elite with a 6th place finish in Split in 2022. However, their momentum dipped, and they finished 9th two years later. Can they recapture that 2022 magic and challenge the mighty Hungarians?
The recent history between these two teams is a rollercoaster. They clashed twice in the lead-up to the championships. In Paris, just a month ago, Hungary narrowly avoided defeat, tying the game with a last-second goal and then winning in a penalty shootout (12-12, 4-5). However, last week in Trebinje, Hungary dominated, crushing France 20-7. Which version of France will show up on Day 1?
Their last European Championship encounter was in 2014, where Hungary prevailed 12-7 in the group stage in Budapest. More recently, at the Paris Olympics opening round, Hungary edged out France 13-12, and last year at the World Cup Division I tournament, it was Hungary again with a 15-10 victory. But here's where it gets controversial... France pulled off a stunning upset at the World Championships in Doha 2024, defeating Hungary 11-10 in the quarter-finals after overcoming a four-goal deficit at halftime. Was that a fluke, or a sign of France's growing power? Some might argue it was luck, others a turning point. What do you think?
Fun Fact: The head coaches, Zsolt Varga of Hungary and Vjekoslav Kobescak of France, share a close bond. They were teammates at Mladost Zagreb in the late 1990s and often shared hotel rooms during away games. This adds an intriguing personal dynamic to the high-stakes match.
Group A
18.00 Malta v Montenegro
This marks Malta’s sixth appearance at the European Championships. They typically finish in 15th or 16th place, with their best result being 14th in 2022. They'll be looking to prove they can compete with the best.
Montenegro, debuting as an independent nation in 2008, immediately announced their arrival by winning the European title in Malaga. In their first five appearances, they reached the semi-finals four times, securing silver medals in 2012 and 2016 (the latter in the Belgrade Arena). While they grabbed a bronze medal in 2020, they failed to reach the top four in the subsequent three editions, finishing 6th in 2024. Can they rediscover their early dominance?
Malta and Montenegro have only met once at the European Championships, in 2018, with Montenegro winning convincingly 17-5. Will history repeat itself, or can Malta spring a surprise?
Fun Fact: Montenegro’s head coach, Dejan Savic, led Serbia to European triumph in 2016 here in the Belgrade Arena, defeating Montenegro in the final in front of a record crowd of 18,473 spectators. Talk about adding fuel to the fire!
Group C
12.45 Israel v Spain
Israel is making their fourth appearance at the European Championships. After a promising 12th place finish in Split on their debut, they slipped to the bottom, 16th, in Zagreb/Dubrovnik two years ago. They'll be determined to climb back up the ranks.
After a long and patient wait, Spain finally clinched the European Championship trophy in 2024, a historic first for the nation. Despite participating since the second edition in 1927, they had accumulated three silver and four bronze medals, but the gold had always eluded them until recently. Now, they're hungry for more.
Spain has consistently reached the podium in every major tournament since 2018, a remarkable streak of 11 events (including the last five World Championships, last four European Championships, and last two World Cups). And this is the part most people miss... The one exception? The Olympics. Since winning gold in 1996, they've left the Games empty-handed in the last seven editions, a perplexing anomaly. Will they break the curse in future Olympics?
In fact, Spain is the reigning European champion, the reigning world champion, and the reigning World Cup winner. They are the team to beat.
This will be the first-ever match between Israel and Spain. Can Israel shock the world and upset the reigning champions?
Fun Fact: Spain has suffered only one regular-time loss in the last four editions of the European Championships. Hungary defeated them in the semi-finals in Split 2022. In 2018 and 2020, they lost the respective finals in shootouts after tied matches (to Serbia, then to Hungary), and they also suffered a penalty loss to Croatia in the group stage in Zagreb/Dubrovnik 2024, but they avenged that loss in the final. This shows their resilience and ability to bounce back from setbacks.
Group C
20.30 Netherlands v Serbia
Since winning a bronze medal in 1938, the Netherlands consistently finished in the top 8 until 1993. Their peak was a title-winning run in 1950, and they only finished outside the top 8 once, in 1991. However, after 1995, their performance declined, with a 9th place finish in 1997 being their best result in the last 12 appearances. In the last two editions, they finished 11th both times. Can they rediscover their former glory?
Hosts Serbia, since gaining independence, have secured five titles and a total of eight European golds since 2001. They enjoyed an exceptional run of nine consecutive podium finishes from 2001 to 2018, including four straight titles between 2012 and 2018, the second-best streak ever (Hungary had five golds in a row between 1926 and 1938). The home crowd will be expecting nothing less than victory.
However, the Serbs have failed to reach the semi-finals in the last three editions, finishing 5th, 9th, and 7th. They also haven't won any medals at the last five World Championships or the last two World Cups. But hold on... they did win the Olympics in 2021 and 2024 (completing a triple by also triumphing in 2016). Are they focusing solely on the Olympics, or can they regain their European dominance on home soil? This is a team that clearly knows how to win when it counts.
These two teams have clashed at the last three European Championships, with Serbia winning each time. In 2018 (15-7) and 2020 (11-4), the victories were comfortable, but in 2022, they only managed a shootout win in the crossovers for 9-12th places (6-6, 6-5). This suggests that the Netherlands are closing the gap.
In the build-up to this Championship, the Dutch pulled off a major upset, defeating Croatia 13-12 in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Serbia struggled, suffering a series of defeats against Greece, Italy, and Spain before finally beating France in Trebinje on the last day. Does this indicate a shift in power, or will Serbia rise to the occasion in front of their home fans?
Fun Fact: When Serbia won gold in 2006 as hosts for the first time in Belgrade, it sparked a remarkable trend. In eight of the last 10 editions, the home team either won (5 times: Serbia in 2006 and 2016, Croatia in 2010 and 2022, Hungary in 2020) or reached the final (3 times: Hungary in 2014, Spain in 2018, Croatia in 2024). Before that, the hosts had only claimed gold three times in the first 26 editions (Hungary in 1926 and 1958, West Germany in 1989) and silver once (Germany in 1934). Will Serbia continue this trend and make it a golden homecoming?
Stay tuned to the European Aquatics Water Polo social media accounts for more news and live updates on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Euro.Waterpolo) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/euro.waterpolo/)
Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics
Which of these Day 1 matches are you most excited to watch, and which team are you rooting for? Do you think history will repeat itself, or are we in for some major surprises? Share your predictions and opinions in the comments below!
