THE DRAW CEREMONY FOR THE 37TH MEN’S EUROPEAN WATER POLO CHAMPIONSHIP HELD AT THE WHITE PALACE

The draw ceremony for the 37th Men’s European Water Polo Championship – Belgrade 2026 was held

on September 13 at the White Palace, marking the official countdown to the continent’s biggest water

polo event next year. From January 10 to 25, 2026, Belgrade will welcome Europe’s 16 best national

teams in the Belgrade Arena, the largest indoor venue in the Balkans.

The tournament will begin with the group stage, featuring four groups of four teams each.

Serbia, as the host nation, was drawn into Group C alongside the Netherlands, Israel, and Spain.

Group A includes Malta, France, Montenegro, and Hungary; Group B features Slovenia, Greece, Croatia,

and Georgia; while Group D consists of Turkey, Romania, Italy, and Slovakia.

Each team will play every other team in its group, with one rest day between matches. After the group

phase, the top three teams from each group will advance to the next stage, forming two new groups of

six – Group E (teams from Groups A and C) and Group F (teams from Groups B and D). All points earned

in the first stage will carry over. In the second stage, each team will play three additional matches

against new opponents before the knockout phase begins.

The top two teams from each of the new groups will qualify for the semifinals, while the others will

compete for places from 5th to 12th. Teams eliminated after the first stage will play classification

matches for 13th to 16th place.

During the draw ceremony, speeches were delivered by Antonio Silva, President of European Aquatics,

and Viktor Jelenić, President of the Water Polo Federation of Serbia.

Mr. Silva stated: “After the successful tournaments in 2006 and 2016, we are returning to the impressive

Belgrade Arena for another thrilling event, this time with a new format. Serbia, as the host and a leading

water polo nation, represents sporting excellence. This event will provide a great platform for both

established champions and emerging talents.”

Looking forward to a true celebration of water polo, Viktor Jelenić said: “It is a great honor and pleasure

for us to once again host the elite of European water polo. Water polo is part of our national identity,

and the Water Polo Federation of Serbia has for years been building both sporting success and

organizational standards for major international events – something we are very proud of. Now, we are

taking another step forward.”

The draw was conducted by Matjaž Rakovec, an official of European Aquatics, assisted by Serbian water

polo legends Milan Aleksić and Filip Filipović, who welcomed the guests to Belgrade and wished the

national team success.

The event was attended by numerous high-ranking representatives of European and world water polo,

delegations of national federations from participating countries, and water polo legends who have

marked the sport’s history.

The 2026 European Championship in Belgrade will also commemorate two important anniversaries – 20

years since the 2006 European Championship and 10 years since the unforgettable 2016 tournament,

when Serbia’s “Dolphins” won gold before the home crowd, setting a record attendance of 18,473

spectators for a water polo match.

In January 2026, Belgrade is expected to become the European capital of water polo, as thousands of

fans from across the continent arrive to cheer for their teams, while the passionate home crowd will

once again create an atmosphere worthy of champions.

For all information on the championship and tickets, follow the official channels:

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Photo 1: S. Sandic.

Photo 2: Nemanja Branković

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