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2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup

For the equivalent men's tournament, see 2025–26 European Aquatics Euro Cup.
European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
2025–26
Tournament information
SportWater polo
DateQualification round:
17–19 October 2025
Group stage:
8 November 2025 – 28 February 2026
Knockout stage:
14 March – 3 June 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round: 9 [A]
Group stage: 12 [B]
Knockout stage: 8
Total: 13+4 (from 7 countries)
WebsiteOfficial website

The 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup is the 27th edition of European Aquatics's secondary club competition for women's water polo clubs, and the 4th edition since being rebranded from the Trophy to the Euro Cup. The season begins on 17 October 2025 and ended on 3 June 2026 with the Final.

This season will witness a change in format for the third season in a row, while the slot allocation has changed, with only the fifth and sixth place teams allowed to play from the major leagues.

The winners of the European Aquatics Euro Cup automatically qualify for next season's Champions League (if they choose to enter) and also qualify for the 2026 Super Cup.

The defending champions are ZV De Zaan.

Format

  • Qualification round

12 teams will participate in the qualification round in October 2025. The sixth place teams from national leagues ranked 1–4 plus the third and fourth place teams from national leagues ranked 5–6 take part. Countries ranked 7–12 can have their champions participate. The teams are divided into three separate groups, held in centralised venues. After round robin play, the group winners plus the best runners-up progress to the group stage.

  • Group stage

Twelve teams will play in the group stage which is held between November 2025 to February 2026. The third place teams of national leagues ranked 1–4 can enter this round alongside the four clubs who advanced from the qualification round and four clubs that drop down from the Champions League. The participants are distributed into four groups of three. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualifies to the knockout stage.

  • Knockout stage

The 8 teams left go into the knockout stage. There will be an Eighth-finals, Quarter-finals, Semifinals and Final. Each tie is a home and away two legged affair where the aggregate winners advance.[1][2]

Rankings

The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[3]

  • Associations 1–4 can have two teams ranked 5th and 6th qualify.
  • Associations 5–6 can have two teams ranked 3rd and 4th qualify.
  • Associations 7–12 can have one team ranked 1st qualify.

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

  • (CL) – Additional teams dropping down from the Champions League

Ranking facts

Teams

Starting this season, only the teams finishing in fifth and sixth from national leagues ranked 1–4, the top two teams from national leagues ranked 5–6 and champions from countries ranked 7–12 are permitted to enter.

The teams who finish fifth in domestic leagues 1–4 go straight into the group stage, while everyone else plays the qualification round.

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.[6] 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:

  • CL: Champions League title holders
  • EC: Euro Cup title holders
  • 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,: League positions of the previous season
  • CL: Transferred from the Champions League
    • QR: Transferred from the Champions League qualification round
Entry round Teams
Group stage Greece ANC Glyfada iRepair (CL QR) France Lille UC (CL QR) France Grand Nancy AC (CL QR) Italy Pallanuoto Trieste (CL QR)
Spain EPlus CN Catalunya (6th) Greece Ethnikos (5th) Hungary BVSC Manna ABC (5th) Italy Antenore Plebiscito Padova (5th)
Qualification round Spain Zodiac CNAB (7th) Greece Panionios GSS (6th) Hungary III. Kerületi TVE (6th) Italy ASD Bogliasco 1951 (6th)
Netherlands Polar Bears (3rd) Turkey Galatasaray Zena (1st) Croatia ŽAVK Mladost (1st) Serbia VK Vojvodina (1st)
Israel Hapoel Yokneam (1st)

Name changes

The following teams' names were changed during the season.

Round and draw dates

Schedule

Phase Round Draw date Round date[7]
Qualification round All rounds 28 July 2025 17–19 October 2025
Group stage Matchday 1 8 November 2025
Matchday 2 29 November 2025
Matchday 3 13 December 2025
Matchday 4 20 December 2025
Matchday 5 18 February 2026
Matchday 6 28 February 2026
Quarterfinals First leg TBD 14 March 2026
Second leg 28 March 2026
Semifinals First leg TBD 6 May 2026
Second leg 16 May 2026
Final First leg TBD 27 May 2026
Second leg 3 June 2026

Qualification round

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup qualification round

The group winners and best runners-up qualify for the group stage, while everyone else drops down to the Conference Cup qualifiers. The draw was on 28 July 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[8][9] The seeding is based on the club rankings.[10]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ZOD PAN MLA
1 Spain Zodiac CNAB 2 2 0 0 0 32 12 +20 6 Group stage — — 18–4
2 Greece Panionios GSS 2 1 0 0 1 19 23 −4 3 8–14 — —
3 Croatia ŽAVK Mladost (H) 2 0 0 0 2 13 29 −16 0 — 9–11 —
Source: European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
(H) Host

Group B

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification POL BOG GAL
1 Netherlands Polar Bears (H) 2 2 0 0 0 32 15 +17 6 Group stage — 10–9 22–6
2 Italy ASD Bogliasco 1951 2 1 0 0 1 36 15 +21 3 — — —
3 Turkey Galatasaray Zena 2 0 0 0 2 11 49 −38 0 — 5–27 —
Source: European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
(H) Host

Group C

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification HAP KER VOJ
1 Israel Hapoel Yokneam 2 1 1 0 0 32 27 +5 5 Group stage — — —
2 Hungary III. Kerületi TVE 2 1 0 1 0 32 30 +2 4 19–20[a] — —
3 Serbia VK Vojvodina (H) 2 0 0 0 2 18 25 −7 0 8–12 10–13 —
Source: European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
(H) Host

Ranking of second-placed teams

Pos Grp Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 C Hungary III. Kerületi TVE 2 1 0 1 0 32 30 +2 4 Group stage
2 B Italy ASD Bogliasco 1951 2 1 0 0 1 36 15 +21 3
3 A Greece Panionios GSS 2 1 0 0 1 19 23 −4 3
Source: European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Notes

  1. ^ From 9 countries
  2. ^ From 6 countries
  1. ^ Match ended 15–15, Hapoel Yokneam won 5–4 on penalties.

See also

References

  1. ^ Competition regulations
  2. ^ "European Aquatics unveils plans for 2025/26 water polo season - European Aquatics®". June 1, 2025.
  3. ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Women Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". www.len.eu. August 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
  6. ^ "EUROPEAN AQUATICS WATER POLO CLUB COMPETITIONS" (PDF). 12 May 2025.
  7. ^ "European Aquatics Calendar - European Aquatics®". 28 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Champions League and Euro Cup water polo draws set for Monday - European Aquatics®". July 26, 2025.
  9. ^ "Dramatic clashes await after Champions League and Euro Cup draws - European Aquatics®". July 28, 2025.
  10. ^ "Women Club Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
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