Women’s European Water Polo Championships, Funchal 2026

Match previews, Day 1 – Monday 26 January
(local times shown)

Group A

10:30 Greece v Slovakia

• The two teams have met twice in recent years, with Greece dominating both games – 22-3 in the quarter-finals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Qualification Tournament in Trieste, Italy, and 18-2 in the Group Stage of the 2020 European Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

• The European crown is one major title that has so far eluded Greece. Four-times runners-up, once bronze medallists, and always in the conversation, the Greeks arrive in Madeira with a sense of unfinished business.

• Slovakia’s perseverance continues to pay dividends. After a 27-year absence from the competition, they’ve now qualified for four straight editions. Their eighth-place finish in 2020 remains the high point, though they fell to 15th in Eindhoven.

• Greece’s best finish at the European Championships was second place on four occasions (2010, 2012, 2018 & 2022) and their current ranking is second, while Slovakia’s best European finish was eighth place in 2020, and their current ranking is 12th.

12:15 France v Germany

• France and Germany have met seven times in the past 11 years, with France leading their head-to-head record 6-1. The French have won the last six clashes, with their most recent victory arriving at the 2024 European Championships in Eindhoven in the play-offs for a place in the top eight, 14-6.

• Germany’s lonely – and narrow – win against France came during the 2016 European Championships qualifiers in September 2015, 11-9.

• Germany are familiar faces at the European Championships, having featured in almost every edition since the tournament began – the sole exception coming in 2014, when they fell short behind France and Spain in qualifying.

• France’s best finish at the European Championships was third place on two occasions (1987 & 1989) and their current ranking is seventh, while Germany’s best European finish was third place in 1985, and their current ranking is 10th.

Group B

17:00 Hungary v Spain

• The standout fixture of the opening day sees two water polo heavyweights clash, who regularly face each other on the international calendar. In their last 10 fixtures, dating back to 2022, Spain lead the head-to-head record with seven wins and three losses, but those defeats came in their three most recent encounters – in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Championships in Singapore (15-9), the semi-finals of the 2025 World Cup in Chengdu (10-8) and the 2025 World Cup Division One tournament in Greece (17-18 after a penalty shootout, 14-14 FT).

• After winning back-to-back European titles in 2020 and 2022, Spain fell just short of a historic hat-trick when they were narrowly defeated by the Netherlands in the 2024 final. Redemption came swiftly, however, as they claimed Olympic gold in Paris – the pinnacle of their golden generation – just a few months later.

• No nation has appeared on the European Championships podium more often than Hungary. With 14 medals – three gold, five silver and six bronze – they always start every major tournament among the favourites, and in Funchal it is no different. Silver medals at the 2022, 2024 and 2025 World Championships, and at the 2025 World Cup, suggest they might be on the verge of ending their decade-long gold drought.

• Head-to-head at the European Championships only, Spain have had seven wins (including in their last five meetings), Hungary have had six wins, with one game ending in a draw. The full breakdown is as follows (with the Spanish scores listed second) – 1999: 10-4, 2001: 14-4, 2003: 8-4, 2006: 8-8, 12-11 (bronze), 2008: 7-8 (semi-final), 2010: 10-13, 10-7 (5th place), 2012: 11-9 (quarter-final), 2014: 7-8 (semi-final), 2018: 9-13, 6-12 (bronze), 2020: 10-11 (semi-final), 2022: 11-15 (quarter-final).

• Hungary’s best finish at the European Championships was first place on three occasions (1991, 2001 & 2016) and their current ranking is fourth, while Spain’s best European finish was also gold on three occasions (2014, 2020 & 2022), and their current ranking is first.

21:00 Romania v Portugal

• Portugal and Romania both qualified for the 2026 European Championships in the same fashion – by finishing in the top two places in their qualification tournament last June in Setubal, Portugal. The Portuguese finished first in the group after beating Romania (13-7) and Czechia (18-12).

• These two teams also met in the 2020 European Championships qualifiers in April 2019, which were also held in Portugal – in Rio Maior – with the home side winning 14-11 on that occasion. Their clash on the opening day in Funchal will be their third consecutive game on Portuguese soil.

• Romania’s gradual consolidation at continental level continues. After finishing 11th on their debut appearance in 2022 and 14th in 2024, they clinched qualification for a third successive time with a dramatic 12-11 victory over Czechia in Setubal.

• Romania’s best finish at the European Championships was 11th in 2022 and their current ranking is 13th, while Portugal’s best European finish was 10th in 2016, and their current ranking is 20th.

Group C

13:45 Italy v Croatia

• Italy and Croatia have met three times at recent European Championships, with the Italians coming out on top on each occasion – 2016 (31-2), 2018 (24-3) and 2022 (16-8).

• Croatia warmed up for the European Championships with a three-team tournament in Zagreb against France and Great Britain at the start of January. Croatia won both games against the French (17-9, 18-9), but lost twice to Great Britain – the first game with GB ended 10-10, before losing 2-4 in a shootout, and 19-7.

• Italy have won the European Championships on five occasions – Vienna 1995, Sevilla 1997, Prato 1999, Ljubljana 2003 and Eindhoven 2012 – and sit second in the all-time medal table behind the Netherlands (six golds). Their current ranking is fifth.

• Croatia’s best European finish was eighth place three times (2010, 2022 & 2024), and their current ranking is sixth.

15:30 Serbia v Türkiye

• This will be the third time Serbia have faced Türkiye at the European Championships. At Eindhoven in 2024, Serbia won 13-6 in the Division 2 Group Stage, and at Barcelona in 2018, Serbia again triumphed in the Group Stage, 9-6. The two teams also met in the Split 2022 qualification tournament in Serbia, with the Serbs also victorious in that encounter, 22-4.

• Serbia’s women have spent years striving to emerge from the shadows of their illustrious men’s team, and signs of progress are clear. They stormed through qualification in Novi Sad, thrashing Finland, Ukraine and Switzerland by wide margins to book their spot in Funchal with ease.

• This will be Türkiye’s fourth European appearance, reflecting the nation’s steady growth in the women’s game. Their 13th-place finish in Eindhoven came with bright individual displays from Dilara Burali and prolific scorer Kübra Kuş, who netted 20 goals to finish joint-fourth top scorer of the competition (alongside Serbia’s Ana Milicevic).

• Serbia’s best finish at the European Championships was eighth place in 2006 and their current ranking is ninth, while Türkiye’s best European finish was 12th place twice (2016 & 2018), and their current ranking is 14th.

Group D

9:00 Switzerland v Israel

• These two teams have met three times in recent history, with Israel winning each encounter comfortably. In 2019, they faced each other in the 2020 European qualifiers, with Israel triumphing 29-16 over two legs (13-6 and 16-10), and in 2017 they clashed in the 2018 European qualifiers, with Israel dominant again, 11-3.

• Israel’s steady rise since debuting at the 2018 European Championships has served as a great source of inspiration for other developing nations. Their breakthrough came in 2022, when they finished sixth in Split, and Funchal will mark their fifth successive appearance at this tournament.

• After three decades away, Switzerland’s return to the European Championships is a story of quiet determination. Their second-place finish in the Novi Sad qualifiers, behind Serbia but ahead of Ukraine and Finland, marked a triumphant return to the top table.

• Switzerland’s best finish at the European Championships was 10th place in 1993 and their current ranking is 18th, while Israel’s best European finish was sixth in 2022, and their current ranking is 8th.

18:45 Netherlands v Great Britain

• The reigning champions, the Netherlands, will start this clash as overwhelming favourites. Great Britain and the Netherlands last met in the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championships in Eindhoven, with the Dutch storming to a 25-6 victory. They also met in the Group Stage of the 2014 Europeans in Budapest, with the Netherlands winning that encounter 11-5.

• The Netherlands are the most successful side in European Championships history with six European titles, four silvers and three bronzes. Bronze medals at both the Paris 2024 Olympics and the 2025 World Cup were more clear demonstrations of their power.

• Great Britain’s return to the elite tier has re-energised the sport domestically. Seventh in Eindhoven, their best finish in over a decade, saw them earn a World Championships berth for the first time in 11 years. Consecutive 11th-place finishes followed on the global stage in Doha and Singapore, and the signs remain promising they’re here to stay this time.

• The Netherlands’ best finish at the European Championships was first place on six occasions (1985, 1987, 1989, 1993, 2018 & 2024) and their current ranking is third, while Great Britain’s best European finish was sixth in 1985, and their current ranking is 11th.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics