Hungary were the big winners on the opening day of the women’s European Water Polo Championships after battling back from 2-5 down to beat Spain 9-7 at the Funchal Olympic Pools Complex. It was a fourth successive victory for the Magyars against their fierce rivals and that run includes beating them in last year’s semi-finals of the World Championships and World Cup. Other highlights on Day 1 included France edging a thrilling contest with Germany (13-11) and Serbia’s entertaining one-goal victory against Türkiye (9-8).

Women’s 2026 European Water Polo Championships – Funchal
Day 1, Monday 26 January

Group A

Greece 24-7 Slovakia
France 13-11 Germany

Group B

Hungary 9-7 Spain
Romania 7-12 Portugal

Group C

Italy 24-12 Croatia
Serbia 9-8 Türkiye

Group D

Switzerland 9-24 Israel
Netherlands 14-4 Great Britain

Group A

Greece 24-7 Slovakia
(8-1, 5-3, 7-1, 4-2)

World champions and World Cup winners Greece hit the ground running against Slovakia, opening the game with a powerful 8-0 surge, which pretty much sealed the points within the first eight minutes.

Sandra Holicova did pull one back for the Slovaks, five seconds before the first break, with a 6m shot that finally found a way past Greece goalkeeper Ioanna Stamatopoulou.

With the Greeks targeting their first-ever European gold, the rest of the game was a great opportunity to fine-tune their attacks ahead of the more difficult tasks that await.

By half-time, the score stood at 13-4 and it was proving to be a tough morning for Slovakia goalkeeper Kristina Matouskova, whose save ratio was 0/13 at this point, and she sat out for the remainder of the game.

After letting in three goals in the second quarter, Greece tightened their defence again in the third, with several key blocks restricting Slovakia to just the one goal.

In attack, the Greeks were demonstrating their overall strength, hammering in seven more goals – by six different scorers – and stretching their advantage to 20-5 by the last break.

Slovakia kept battling, but the fourth quarter also belonged to Greece, as they closed out the contest by adding four more to their total.

Androniki Karagianni led the way for the world champions with five goals, while Maria Myriokefalitaki fired in four times, and there were hat-tricks for Foteini Tricha and Vasiliki Plevritou.

Group A

France 13-11 Germany
(4-3, 4-1, 3-3, 2-4)

Germany got off to a fast start against France, opening up a 0-2 lead with less than three minutes gone on the clock.

Gesa Deike broke the deadlock, firing in during the Germans’ first six-on-five, and Jana Christina Stuewe hit their second from the centre.

This sparked the French into life, as they went on a 3-0 rush to edge ahead through two Valentine Heurtaux strikes, both on extra, and an Ema Vernoux penalty in between.

Gesa Deike levelled the scores, but the French were causing problems with their counter-attack and forced another penalty down the right-hand side, which Vernoux buried to hand the French a 4-3 lead at the first break.

Camelia Bouloukbachi’s six-on-five shot at the start of the second quarter just crept over the line after smashing against the underside of the crossbar, to give France a two-goal advantage (5-3).

Following a Germany time-out, Belen Vosseberg, the joint top scorer in Eindhoven, opened her new account in Funchal with a fine finish from the right wing that flew past goalkeeper Romane Secheresse.

While the posts then saved the French on six occasions (including two penalties from Vosseberg and Gesa Deike in the last eight seconds of the half), in attack they were much more clinical, with Ema Vernoux, Heurtaux and Lara Andres all on target to put them 8-4 ahead at the turnaround.

The gap remained at four after the third quarter (11-7), with the Germans hitting the post three more times.

After the two teams traded goals early in the fourth, France had lost Lara Andres and Tiziana Raspo to three fouls, and this gave the Germans some belief they could get closer, which they did.

A Gesa Deike penalty and a powerful finish from Elena Ludwig from the left wing brought them within two of the French (12-10).

France coach Lorene Derenty called a time-out and it looked to have worked when Vernoux fired in from the perimeter, but Germany coach Karsten Seehafer challenged, asking for an earlier corner, and VAR agreed.

With 2:19 remaining, France reset their lead to three thanks to a Vernoux penalty, and this time her goal was good.

Germany were still pushing, though, and Ira Deike’s 6m shot made it 13-11 with 1:10 on the clock, setting up a potentially tense finale, but they weren’t able to get any closer.

Vernoux inflicted most of the damage for France, top scoring with five goals, closely followed by Heurtaux with four.

It was a seventh successive victory for France over Germany, with their last win (14-6) coming two years ago in Eindhoven during the play-offs for a place in the top eight.

Group B

Hungary 9-7 Spain
(2-2, 2-3, 1-2, 4-0)

The first clash in Funchal featuring two medal contenders lived up to all expectations right from the start.

Hungary goalkeeper Boglarka Neszmely produced two huge point-blank saves inside the first three minutes to deny Paula Leiton and Carlota Penalver, while at the other end, Eszter Varro and Rita Keszthelyi found the net to give the Magyars a 2-0 lead.

After 5:27 of trying, Bea Ortiz finally found a way past Neszmely, but only just.

Neszmely got a big hand on the shot, but the ball squirmed away from her and was adjudged to have crossed the line.

Ortiz was at it again shortly after, firing in from a six-on-five to level the score (2-2) just before the first break.

Hungary missed a six-on-five early in the second quarter, with Paula Camus coming up with a key block, while Paula Pratz and Irene Gonzales both scored to keep Spain’s surge going.

Another wasted extra (their fourth in succession) again proved costly for Hungary, as Spain went straight down the other end and Ariadna Ruiz made it 2-5.

After 11:57 of firing blanks, Hungary eventually ended their drought (and Spain’s 0-5 rush), but it needed a large slice of luck, as Dorottya Szilagyi’s shot smashed against the crossbar and rebounded into the net off a defender’s head.

The curse was broken, and Dalma Domsodi’s smart finish swiftly brought Hungary within one just before half-time, at 4-5.

It would have been a lot worse had it not been for Neszmely’s heroics, whose save ratio stood at 8/13 in the first 16 minutes.

Despite their earlier wobbles on extra, Hungary were now having some joy from them, as Vanda Valyi converted one early in the third to level at 5-5. It was their third successful attempt from their last four.

Spain were soon back in front, though, with Ortiz completing her hat-trick with a nice action shot for 5-6.

Ariadna Ruiz then restored Spain’s two-goal advantage (5-7) 25 seconds before the penultimate buzzer, with a sharp shot from a tight angle on the right wing.

Early in the fourth, Szilagyi made it 6-7 with a fierce shot on extra that flew down the middle and past a surprised Martina Terre, then Nora Sumegi equalised with 5:32 on the clock.

Krisztina Garada then came up with two pinpoint goals from six-on-fives, which ultimately decided the game and kept up the Magyars’ recent good run of form against Spain.

Capping an impressive display in goal, Neszmely made 16 saves from 23 shots (69,6%) and also denied Ariadna Ruiz’s rebound effort after her penalty struck the post in the final five seconds, which were replayed following a VAR review.

While the Hungarians beat them at last year’s World Championships and twice at the World Cup, this was actually their first victory against them at a European Championships since 2012.

Group B

Romania 7-12 Portugal
(1-2, 1-2, 1-2, 4-6)

It took the hosts just 28 seconds to score their first goal at the European Championships, as Beatriz Pereira hammered in from distance to set the Portuguese on their way.

With Hungary and Spain also in their group, this was almost like a final to decide who will finish in third place.

Briana-Maria Mihaila levelled for Romania, before Maria Machado struck – again with a 6m shot – to give Portugal a slender 1-2 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

It could have been an even healthier lead, but Carolina Fernandez saw her penalty well saved by Romanian goalkeeper Mariia Dvorzhetska.

Three minutes into the second quarter, it was the Romanians’ turn to squander a 5m shot, as Andra-Ana-Maria Sandu sent her effort wide of the left post, much to the relief of the home fans inside the arena.

Madalena Lousa was on hand to finish off a counter to give Portugal a two-goal lead (1-3), before Krisztina-Emese Szeghalmi pulled one back from a penalty with 55 seconds left in the first half.

There was still time for Portugal to reset their two-goal advantage, though, with Beatriz Carmo rifling in a fine 6m shot.

In the third quarter, home goalkeeper Maria Sampaio came up with a spectacular one-on-one save to deny Nikolette Laboncz, but there was little she could do about Mihaila’s delicate pinpoint shot from a six-on-five.

Machado hit her second of the game – from a penalty – for 3-5, then her third – from action – to open up a three-goal lead for the first time before the penultimate break (she also grabbed a fourth late on).

A nice backhander from Portugal’s Ines Nunes opened the fourth, and as cracks started to appear in Romania’s defensive wall, Pereira quickly added another after Dvorzhetska couldn’t keep her one-timer out.

When Lousa added another from a counter for 3-9, it was clear the three points would belong to Portugal – their first victory at a European Championships in a decade.

Group C

Italy 24-12 Croatia
(7-4, 6-3, 6-3, 5-2)

Croatia managed to keep up with Italy until 2-2 in the first quarter, then a 3-0 surge from the favourites saw them start to leave their opponents behind.

After the opening eight minutes, it was 7-4, with Iva Rozic and Neli Jankovic leading the Croatian resistance with two goals apiece.

Italy continued to dominate in the second quarter with another 3-0 rush, before a Jankovic strike from distance briefly interrupted their momentum.

The Italians responded with two more unanswered goals to widen the gap to seven (12-5), and although Rozic and Jelena Butic scored for the Croats either side of an Agnese Cocchiere strike, at 13-7 the points were all but safe by half-time.

Rozic rifled in her fourth of the game from a penalty 38 seconds into the third, but the Italians were still very much on top, hitting two in quick succession through Roberta Bianconi and Claudia Marletta.

Lucrezia Cergol added another, and in truth the Italians could have had even more, but they appeared to want to set up their plays rather than go for the quick shots, which often looked on.

A Jelena Butic rocket from deep was merely a sideshow to the Italians’ masterclass at the other end, as Chiara Tabani expertly converted their seventh six-on-five shot from eight attempts (they finished 8/10 in this stat).

It was 18-10 by the end of the third, and the final eight minutes were played at a much lower tempo.

Italy stopped at 24 goals, while Croatia managed 12, which should give them some confidence going into their last two group games against Türkiye and Serbia, which are likely to decide the runners-up spot in Group C.

Group C

Serbia 9-8 Türkiye
(2-2, 3-2, 3-3, 1-1)

Serbia and Türkiye also met on the opening day of the European Championships in Eindhoven two years ago, with the Serbs winning 13-6, and after an even first quarter in Funchal ended 2-2, the distance between the two sides looked to have shortened considerably.

Yelizaveta Ivanova even put the Turks 2-3 ahead early in the second quarter with a no-look shot from the right wing that flashed past Serbian goalkeeper Nikolina Travar.

A 3-0 rush from Serbia – with goals from Javona Radonjic, Jelena Vukovic and Hristina Ilic – made it 5-3 with 1:47 to play in the first half, then Hanzade Dabbag maintained Türkiye’s 100% record from six-on-fives by pulling one back to make it 5-4.

The third period began with three minutes of fierce battling, wayward shooting and some key blocks.

Serbia’s Ana Milicevic – their top scorer in Eindhoven with 20 goals – was particularly struggling to find her range, as she had missed all of her six shots at this point (she finished 0/8).

Midway through the third, Kubra Kus swam free down the left for an easy put-away to tie the score (5-5), and the Serbs knew they had a fight on their hands.

Counter-attacks were becoming more frequent for each side as the game wore on, and Serbia capitalised from their next two, with the prolific Radonjic converting both and punching the air with delight as her team regained the lead.

Türkiye were in no mood to lie down, though, with Dabbag keeping up her side’s good record from six-on-fives with a neat finish to make it a one-goal game at 7-6.

Even after Vukovic hammered in to make it 8-6 with eight seconds remaining, there was still time for Türkiye coach Milos Bradic to be yellow-carded for his demonstrations, and for Dilara Burali to beat the buzzer to make it 8-7 heading into the fourth.

Türkiye had a few chances to equalise, but none better than when they were awarded a penalty with 4:21 on the clock.

Dabbag swam up to take it, but her effort struck Travar’s outstretched left arm and the opportunity was gone.

Serbian coach Milos Bradic called a time-out after a Turkish exclusion to refocus his players, and his words had the desired effect, as Radonjic sent the ball through a sea of arms into the net for her sixth goal of the game.

Dabbag then made up somewhat for her earlier miss to bring the Turks within one again with 2:28 to play (9-8), but they couldn’t find another.

The Serbs closed the game out, yet they were far from comfortable winners, like two years ago.

Group D

Switzerland 9-24 Israel
(0-7, 1-9, 2-2, 6-6)

Returning to the continent’s top table for the first time in 30 years, Switzerland were always destined to struggle in their opening fixture.

Israel – who have finished in the top 10 at the last four European Championships – dominated proceedings from the start, dictating the tempo and scoring three goals from their first four possessions.

Noa Sasova overpowered her marker in the centre and fired in the first goal of the tournament after just 40 seconds, then Maria Mia Bogachenko’s shot found the far corner from Israel’s opening six-on-five.

Bogachenko hit their third soon after, and from there it was clear the Swiss were in trouble, especially as they were finding little joy in attack, with Israel’s defence preventing any clear shots or space.

The lead was extended to 0-7 by the first break, and at 0-8 early in the second quarter, Switzerland had a perfect chance to settle their nerves and get on the scoreboard from a penalty, but Lotti Verhagen lost her grip on the ball, wasting the opportunity.

With 3:05 left in the quarter, at 0-10, the large contingent of Swiss fans inside the arena finally had something to cheer, as Melanie Adler flashed a shot from the perimeter under the arm of Roni Kakusin from their third six-on-five of the game.

At half-time, the gap was 15 (1-16) and with the early tension gone, the Swiss were much more composed in the second half and managed to tie the third (2-2) and fourth quarters (6-6).

Verhagen also made up for her earlier penalty miss with three excellent finishes to restore some pride for the Swiss and make the scoreline more respectable.

Israel, meanwhile, probably had one eye on their next fixture in the second half – against Great Britain on Tuesday – which is likely to decide the runners-up spot in Group D.

Group D

Netherlands 14–4 Great Britain
(4-0, 5-0 3-3, 2-1)

After meeting in the quarter-finals in Eindhoven two years ago, the Netherlands and Great Britain faced off on the opening day in Funchal, and the outcome was just the same – a resounding victory for the Dutch, but they didn’t have it all their own way, especially in the second half.

The Brits have arrived with very different ambitions to the Netherlands, and their big game is the clash with Israel on Tuesday, which is likely to decide who progresses to the top eight alongside the defending champions.

Goals from Lieke Rogge, captain Maartje Keuning, Bente Rogge and Kitty Lynn Joustra got the title holders’ new campaign off to a flying start (4-0), and further strikes from Noa De Vries and Linde Haksteen early in the second quarter ensured an upset was never on the cards.

After 7-0, Great Britain thought they had a chance to open their account when Toula Falvey was awarded a penalty on 2m, but Dutch coach Eva Doudesis immediately challenged the call, and a VAR review backed him up.

Twenty-six seconds into the third, the Brits finally got their breakthrough, as Amelia Peters muscled her way to the near post to finish off a nice move down the right-hand side.

With both sides gearing up for their own contrasting future battles, the game began to slow down a little, but a few goals kept coming, including two more for Great Britain – from Lily Turner on a counter, and Katy Cutler from a six-on-five.

At the final break it was 12-3, and full-time 14-4, which was something of an incredible feat by the Brits to lose the second half by just one goal, which will give them confidence ahead of Tuesday’s key meeting with Israel.

Meanwhile, Doudesis commented afterwards he was far from pleased with his team’s performance and knows they’ll need to make lots of improvements if they want a repeat of their Eindhoven glory.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics