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2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup

For the equivalent women's tournament, see 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup.
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

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.

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

Ranking facts

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
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 Postdam (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)

Name changes

The following teams' names were changed during the season.

Rounds and draw dates

Schedule

Phase Draw date Round date[5]
Qualification round I 11 August 2025 7–9 November 2025
Qualification round II 19 November 2025 19–22 February 2026
Quarterfinals TBD 20–22 March 2026
Final Four 2–3 May 2026

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 off the club rankings.[8]

Group A

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 —
Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group B

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 —
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 — —
Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group C

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 — —
Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group D

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 Qualification round II — — 21–13 —
2 Serbia VK Partizan (H) 3 2 0 0 1 47 35 +12 6 13–11 — — 21–8
3 Lithuania EVK Zaibas 3 2 0 0 1 45 46 −1 6 — 16–13 — —
4 Germany SG Neukölln Berlin 3 0 0 0 3 26 62 −36 0 6–25 — 12–16 —
Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group E

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 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 — — —
Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

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.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification APO POT PAN PAR
1 Greece GS Apollon Smyrnis 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — — — —
2 Germany OSC Potsdam (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Greece Panionios GSS 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Serbia VK Partizan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – —
First match(es) will be played: 20 February 2026. Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group B

20–22 February 2026, Split, Croatia.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification TEN MOR RAP ZDZ
1 Spain Tenerife Echeyde 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — — — —
2 Croatia VK Mornar Split (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – –
3 Romania CS Rapid București 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — —
4 Netherlands ZV De Zaan 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – —
First match(es) will be played: 20 February 2026. Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group C

19–22 February 2026, Montpellier, France.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification AKK END MON PRI MAN
1 Italy De Akker Team 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — — — — —
2 Hungary Endo Plus SH 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — – – –
3 France Montpellier Water Polo (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — – –
4 Croatia VK Primorje EB 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — — —
5 Georgia (country) A-Polo Sport Management 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – — — – —
First match(es) will be played: 19 February 2026. Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Group D

19–22 February 2026, Naples, Italy.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification CRV DIN MAT POS SET
1 Serbia BVK Crvena zvezda 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Quarterfinals — – – — –
2 Georgia (country) WPC Dinamo Tbilisi 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — – — –
3 Spain CN Mataró 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — –
4 Italy CN Posillipo (H) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 – – – — –
5 France Sète Natation 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 — — — — —
First match(es) will be played: 19 February 2026. Source: European Aquatics Conference Cup
(H) Host

Notes

  1. ^ From 14 countries
  2. ^ From 11 countries

See also

References

  1. ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  2. ^ "Men Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Water polo club competitions regulations" (PDF). europeanaquatics.org. European aquatics. 12 May 2025.
  5. ^ "European Aquatics Calendar - European Aquatics®". September 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "2025/26 Conference Cup and Challenger Cup water polo qualification groups determined - European Aquatics®". August 11, 2025.
  7. ^ Curcic, Ivan (August 11, 2025). "Conference Cup draw: Two former European champions in same qualification group".
  8. ^ "Men Club Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  9. ^ "Conference Cup: Men's and women's Qualification Round II draws set up eagerly awaited next phase | European Aquatics®". europeanaquatics.org. 19 November 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2026.
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