European Aquatics has published its latest national team rankings, based on results achieved over the past three years at senior and age-group European Water Polo Championships. Hungary lead the men’s field after finishing among the six highest-placed teams at all eight eligible tournaments, while double European champions Netherlands head the women’s table.
Hungary’s men have enjoyed plenty of success in recent events, claiming silver at the 2026 European Championships and producing a string of strong performances across the age-group events, including another runners-up finish at last year’s U16 tournament in Istanbul.
European champions Serbia sit second in the men’s rankings after reigning supreme in Belgrade in January, while Spain are third, dropping two places after collecting just one medal across the 2025 and 2026 championships – silver at the U20s event in Varna.
At the 2026 senior women’s European Championships in Funchal, the Netherlands once again stood on top of the podium, successfully defending the title they memorably won on home soil in Eindhoven two years earlier.
Back-to-back senior crowns, combined with a bronze medal at the recent U20 European Championships in Oeiras, lifted the Dutch to the summit of the women’s rankings, ahead of Hungary and third-placed Spain.
In the combined standings, Hungary sit first, followed by Spain in second and Greece in third.
The standings are shaped by the results at each European Championships, with points weighted according to the level of competition.
Senior events carry the greatest value, followed by the U20, U18 and U16 championships. Recent results also carry greater value, with the full points total awarded for the 2026 and 2025 editions, while results from 2024 and 2023 competitions (U19s, U17s and U15s) count at 50 per cent.
For the full women’s list, click here
For the full men’s list, click here
For the full combined men’s and women’s list, click here
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