2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup

Water polo sports season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup is the 1st edition of European Aquatics's new tertiary club competition (replacing the Challenger Cup) for men's water polo clubs. The season begins on 7 November 2025 and ended on 3 June 2026 with the Final Four.

SportWater polo
DateQualification Round I:
7–9 November 2025
Qualification Round II:
19–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals:
20–22 March 2026
Final Four:
2–3 May 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round I: 19 [A]
Qualification round II: 10+8 [B]
Quarterfinals: 8
Final Four: 4
Total: 19+8 (from 16 countries)
Quick facts Tournament information, Sport ...
European Aquatics Conference Cup
2025–26
Tournament information
SportWater polo
DateQualification Round I:
7–9 November 2025
Qualification Round II:
19–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals:
20–22 March 2026
Final Four:
2–3 May 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round I: 19 [A]
Qualification round II: 10+8 [B]
Quarterfinals: 8
Final Four: 4
Total: 19+8 (from 16 countries)
WebsiteOfficial website
2026–27 →
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The winners of the European Aquatics Conference Cup automatically qualify for next season's Euro Cup, (if they choose to enter).

Rankings

The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[1]

  • Associations 1–10 can have two teams ranked 5th and 6th qualify.
  • Associations 11–12 can have two teams ranked 3rd, 4th and 5th qualify.
  • Associations 13 and below can have one team ranked 1st qualify.

Apart from the distribution based on the rankings, countries could have additional teams participating in the Conference Cup, as noted below:

  • (EC) – Additional teams dropping down from the Euro Cup
More information Rank, Association ...
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Ranking facts

More information Biggest rise, Pos ...
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More information Biggest fall, Pos ...
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More information New entries ...
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More information Leaving entries ...
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Teams

The teams finishing in fifth and sixth from national leagues ranked 1–10, placing in third through fifth from national leagues ranked 11–12 and champions from countries ranked 13 and below are permitted to enter.

Everyone who enters starts in the qualification round I.

Unlike last season, in the event that a club decides not to enter, the next best ranked team is not allowed to take their place.[4] However, this rule wasn't implemented all the time.

Qualified teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:

  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc.: League positions of the previous season
  • EC: Transferred from the Euro Cup
    • QR: Transferred from the Euro Cup qualification round
More information Entry round, Teams ...
Entry round Teams
Qualification round II Greece GS Apollon Smyrnis (EC QR) Georgia (country) A-Polo Sport Management (EC QR) Serbia VK Crvena zvezda (EC QR) Romania CS Rapid București (EC QR)
Netherlands ZV De Zaan (EC QR) France Montpellier Water Polo (EC QR) Georgia (country) WPC Dinamo Tbilisi (EC QR) Germany OSC Potsdam (EC QR)
Qualification round I Italy CN Posillipo (5th) Italy De Akker Team (6th) Hungary Endo Plus SH (5th) Serbia VK Partizan (5th)
Spain CN Mataró (5th) Spain Tenerife Echeyde (6th) Greece Panionios GSS (5th) Greece AC PAOK (6th)
Croatia VK Primorje EB (5th) Croatia VK Mornar Split (6th) France Sète Natation (4th) Germany White Sharks (5th)
Germany SG Neukölln Berlin (6th) Montenegro PVK Budva BR (5th) Netherlands UZSC (3rd) Turkey Galatasaray SK (1st)
Portugal Vitória SC (1st) Lithuania EVK Zaibas (1st) Bosnia and Herzegovina VK Banja Luka (1st)
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Name changes

The following teams' names were changed during the season.

More information Original name, New name ...
Original name New name Matchday
Spain CN MataróSpain Solartradex CN MataróQualification round I
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Rounds and draw dates

Schedule

More information Phase, Draw date ...
PhaseDraw dateRound date[5]
Qualification round I11 August 20257–9 November 2025
Qualification round II19 November 202519–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals2 March 202620–22 March 2026
Final FourTBD2–3 May 2026
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Qualification round I

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup qualification round I

The top two qualify for the next round, while every team that comes from a country that is ranked below the top thirteen drop down to the Challenger Cup. The draw was on 11 August 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[6][7] The seeding is based on the club rankings.[8]

Group A

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification POS ENDO PAOK UZSC
1 Italy CN Posillipo 3 2 1 0 0 46 35 +11 8 Qualification round II — — — —
2 Hungary Endo Plus SH 3 2 0 1 0 52 31 +21 7 16–18 — 15–8 —
3 Greece AC PAOK 3 1 0 0 2 39 40 −1 3 — — — 12–15
4 Netherlands UZSC (H) 3 0 0 0 3 30 61 −31 0 10–18 10–24 10–19 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group B

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PAN TEN BUD WHI
1 Greece Panionios GSS (H) 3 3 0 0 0 50 34 +16 9 Qualification round II — — 16–13 19–10
2 Spain Tenerife Echeyde 3 1 1 0 1 49 42 +7 5 11–15 — 19–18[a] —
3 Montenegro PVK Budva BR 3 1 0 1 1 48 41 +7 4 — — — 19–9
4 Germany White Sharks 3 0 0 0 3 30 60 −30 0 — 11–22 — —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
  1. [a]
    Match ended 16–16. Tenerife Echeyde won 3–2 on penalties.

Group C

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MOR SET VIT BAN
1 Croatia VK Mornar Split (H) 3 3 0 0 0 64 24 +40 9 Qualification round II — — 24–11 24–4
2 France Sète Natation 3 2 0 0 1 72 28 +44 6 9–16 — — —
3 Portugal Vitória SC 3 1 0 0 2 39 50 −11 3 — 8–20 — 20–6
4 Bosnia and Herzegovina VK Banja Luka 3 0 0 0 3 14 87 −73 0 — 4–43 — —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group D

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AKK PAR ZAI BER
1 Italy De Akker Team 3 2 0 0 1 57 32 +25 6[a] Qualification round II — — 21–13 —
2 Serbia VK Partizan (H) 3 2 0 0 1 47 35 +12 6[a] 13–11 — — 21–8
3 Lithuania EVK Zaibas 3 2 0 0 1 45 46 −1 6[a] — 16–13 — —
4 Germany SG Neukölln Berlin 3 0 0 0 3 26 62 −36 0 6–25 — 12–16 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
Notes:
  1. [a]
    Head to head goal difference: De Akker Team 3 Pts, +6 GD; VK Partizan 3 Pts, −1 GD; EVK Zaibas 3 Pts, −5 GD

Group E

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification PRI MAT GAL
1 Croatia VK Primorje EB (H) 2 2 0 0 0 50 18 +32 6 Qualification round II — 23–11 27–7
2 Spain Solartradex CN Mataró 2 1 0 0 1 33 39 −6 3 — — 22–16
3 Turkey Galatasaray SK 2 0 0 0 2 23 49 −26 0 — — —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Qualification round II

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup qualification round II

The top two teams in each group qualify will advance to the next round. The draw was on 19 November 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[9]

Group A

20–22 February 2026, Potsdam, Germany.

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification APO PAN PAR POT
1 Greece GS Apollon Smyrnis 3 3 0 0 0 54 37 +17 9 Quarterfinals — — — —
2 Greece Panionios GSS 3 2 0 0 1 47 35 +12 6 13–15 — — —
3 Serbia VK Partizan 3 1 0 0 2 43 39 +4 3 16–20 11–13 — —
4 Germany OSC Potsdam (H) 3 0 0 0 3 23 56 −33 0 8–19 9–21 6–16 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group B

20–22 February 2026, Split, Croatia.

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MOR TEN ZDZ RAP
1 Croatia VK Mornar Split (H) 3 2 1 0 0 47 34 +13 8 Quarterfinals — — 19–18[a] 17–9
2 Spain Tenerife Echeyde 3 2 0 0 1 45 44 +1 6 13–18 — — —
3 Netherlands ZV De Zaan 3 1 0 1 1 41 40 +1 4 — 12–15 — 17–13
4 Romania CS Rapid București 3 0 0 0 3 36 51 −15 0 — 14–17 — —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
  1. [a]
    Match ended 12–12. VK Mornar Split won 7–6 on penalties.

Group C

19–22 February 2026, Montpellier, France.

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification END AKK MAN PRI MON
1 Hungary Endo Plus SH 4 3 1 0 0 57 41 +16 11 Quarterfinals — 15–10 20–19[a] — —
2 Italy De Akker Team 4 2 1 0 1 64 50 +14 8 — — — — —
3 Georgia (country) A-Polo Sport Management 4 1 1 2 0 59 52 +7 7 — 15–16[b] — 23–22[c] —
4 Croatia VK Primorje EB 4 1 0 1 2 57 56 +1 4 9–10 14–17 — — —
5 France Montpellier Water Polo (H) 4 0 0 0 4 46 84 −38 0 8–18 9–25 13–20 16–21 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
  1. [a]
    Match ended 14–14. Endo Plus SH won 6–5 on penalties.
  2. [b]
    Match ended 12–12. De Akker Team won 3–4 on penalties.
  3. [c]
    Match ended 13–13. A-Polo Sport Management won 10–9 on penalties.

Group D

19–22 February 2026, Naples, Italy.

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification POS MAT CRV SET DIN
1 Italy CN Posillipo (H) 4 4 0 0 0 51 31 +20 12 Quarterfinals — 12–10 12–4 14–9 13–8
2 Spain Solartradex CN Mataró 4 3 0 0 1 58 35 +23 9 — — — 22–7 —
3 Serbia BVK Crvena zvezda 4 1 1 0 2 32 40 −8 5 — 7–9 — 14–13[a] 11–9
4 France Sète Natation 4 1 0 1 2 42 60 −18 4 — — — — —
5 Georgia (country) WPC Dinamo Tbilisi 4 0 0 0 4 40 57 −17 0 — 9–17 — 14–16 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
  1. [a]
    Match ended 10–10. BVK Crvena zvezda won 4–3 on penalties.

Quarterfinals

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup quarterfinals

The top two teams in each group qualify will advance to the next round. The draw was on 2 March 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia.[10]

Group A

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification END PAN POS TEN
1 Hungary Endo Plus SH 3 3 0 0 0 46 39 +7 9 Final Four — — — —
2 Greece Panionios GSS (H) 3 2 0 0 1 40 35 +5 6 12–15 — — 15–8
3 Italy CN Posillipo 3 1 0 0 2 41 41 0 3 12–15 12–13 — —
4 Spain Tenerife Echeyde 3 0 0 0 3 36 48 −12 0 15–16 — 13–17 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group B

More information Pos, Pld ...
Pos Team
 Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AKK APO MAT MOR
1 Italy De Akker Team 3 2 0 0 1 41 44 −3 6[a] Final Four — — 14–13 —
2 Greece GS Apollon Smyrnis (H) 3 2 0 0 1 43 33 +10 6[a] 11–14 — 15–10 17–9
3 Spain Solartradex CN Mataró 3 1 0 0 2 37 41 −4 3[b] — — — —
4 Croatia VK Mornar Split 3 1 0 0 2 41 44 −3 3[b] 20–13 — 12–14 —
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Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host
Notes:
  1. [a]
    De Akker Team 14–11 GS Apollon Smyrnis
  2. [b]
    Solartradex CN Mataró 14–12 VK Mornar Split

Final Four

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup Final Four

Notes

  1. [A]
    From 14 countries
  2. [B]
    From 11 countries

See also

References

External links

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