European Aquatics is delighted to announce that Belgrade will host the men’s and women’s Champions League Final Fours at the conclusion of the 2026–27 season, bringing Europe’s leading clubs together for a four-day water polo showcase next May.
The Serbian capital will welcome eight teams – four men’s and four women’s – to the 11 April Sports Complex in New Belgrade, continuing the successful joint Final Four format staged in Malta this summer.
Belgrade is no stranger to Champions League drama. The city hosted the men’s season finales from 2021 to 2023, when the competition concluded with a Final Eight. On each occasion, Italian powerhouse Pro Recco lifted the trophy, completing a historic three-peat – only the second in Champions League history.
“Last June, the joint women’s and men’s Final Fours were a tremendous success in Malta, and there was strong agreement among all stakeholders that we should continue with this format,” said European Aquatics President António Silva.
“Belgrade once again presented a fantastic bid, and we are delighted to return to this great city, which also hosted a memorable edition of the European Aquatics Championships in 2024.”
The 11 April Sports Complex, home of Novi Beograd, will once again provide the stage. The Serbian club reached three Champions League finals in four years between 2022 and 2025, although, unlike in 2022 and 2023, the host team will not receive an automatic place in the Final Four.
The Road to Belgrade
The competition format remains unchanged from last season. Both the men’s and women’s Champions Leagues will begin with four groups of four teams, with the top two from each group progressing.
The men will then contest the traditional Quarter-final Stage, comprising two groups of four. The women’s quarter-finals will be played on a home-and-away basis, with the winners advancing to Belgrade.
The road to the Final Four begins shortly. The men’s Champions League qualification round takes place from 18–20 September 2026, while the women’s competition gets under way from 9–11 October 2026.
After three years away, Champions League finals action is heading back to Belgrade, this time with Europe’s best men’s and women’s clubs sharing the stage.
