2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup

For the equivalent women's tournament, see 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup.
European Aquatics Challenger Cup
2025–26
Tournament information
SportWater polo
DateQualification Round I:
28–30 November 2025
Qualification Round II:
13–15 February 2026
Final classification:
13–15 February 2026
Final Eight:
12–15 March 2026
Tournament
format(s)
Round Robin and Knockout stage
TeamsQualification round I: 14 [A]
Qualification round II: 8+4
Final classification: 6
Final Eight: 8
Total: 14+4 (from 9 countries)
WebsiteOfficial website
Final positions
Champion Galatasaray SK
Runner-up EVK Zaibas
Tournament statistics
Matches played69

The 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup is the 4th edition of the now quaternary water polo competition organised by European Aquatics.

Starting this season, it acts as the fourth tier, due to the introduction of the European Aquatics Conference Cup. The winners of the European Aquatics Challenger Cup automatically qualify for next season's Conference Cup (if they choose to enter).

GZC Donk are the defending champions but will not be defending their title after not entering this season.

Galatasaray SK won their second title after beating EVK Zaibas 13–11 in the final.[1]

Rankings

The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[2]

  • Associations 13 and below can have six teams qualify.

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

  • (CC) – Additional teams dropping down from the Conference Cup

Ranking facts

Teams

Six teams 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.[5]

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
  • CC: Transferred from the Conference Cup
    • QR: Transferred from the Conference Cup qualification round I
Entry round Teams
Qualification round II Galatasaray SK (CC QR) Vitória SC (CC QR) EVK Zaibas (CC QR) VK Banja Luka (CC QR)
Qualification round I Enka Sport Club (2nd) Heybeliada ASC (3rd) Clube Naval Povoense (5th) Carouge Natation (2nd)
AVK Branik Maribor (1st) VK Ljubljana Slovan (2nd) West London Penguin (1st) Welsh Wanderers (3rd)
Royal Dauphins Mouscronnois (1st) Hapoel Palram Zvulun (1st) APOEL Nicosia (1st) San Giljan ASC (1st)
Sliema ASC (2nd) Cetus Espoo (1st)

Name changes

The following teams' names were changed during the season.

Original name New name Matchday
Sliema ASC Sliema ASC Nexawin Qualification round II

Rounds and draw dates

Schedule

Phase Draw date Round date[6]
Qualification round I 11 August 2025 28–30 November 2025
Qualification round II 8 December 2025 13–15 February 2026
Final classification
Final Eight 16 February 2026 12–15 March 2026

Qualification round I

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

The top two qualify for the next round. The draw was on 11 August 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[7][8] The seeding is based on the club rankings.[9]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SLI GIL HAP APO
1 Sliema ASC (H) 3 3 0 0 0 65 35 +30 9 Qualification round II — — 18–13 28–9
2 San Giljan ASC 3 2 0 0 1 53 39 +14 6 13–19 — — —
3 Hapoel Palram Zvulun 3 1 0 0 2 40 44 −4 3 — 10–14 — 17–12
4 APOEL Nicosia 3 0 0 0 3 31 71 −40 0 — — 10–26 —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group B

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MAR CAR SLO NAV
1 AVK Branik Maribor (H) 3 3 0 0 0 58 31 +27 9 Qualification round II — 20–13 17–12 21–6
2 Carouge Natation 3 2 0 0 1 44 40 +4 6 — — — —
3 VK Ljubljana Slovan 3 1 0 0 2 38 42 −4 3 — 9–13 — 17–12
4 Club Naval Povoense 3 0 0 0 3 29 56 −27 0 — 11–18 — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group C

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ENKA HEY WEL
1 Enka Sport Club (H) 2 2 0 0 0 52 17 +35 6 Qualification round II — 21–7 31–10
2 Heybeliada ASC 2 1 0 0 1 29 33 −4 3 — — —
3 Welsh Wanderers 2 0 0 0 2 22 53 −31 0 — 12–22 —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group D

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification MOU CET PEN
1 RD Mouscronnois (H) 2 2 0 0 0 39 26 +13 6 Qualification round II — 15–12 24–14
2 Cetus Espoo 2 1 0 0 1 24 24 0 3 — — 12–9
3 West London Penguin 2 0 0 0 2 23 36 −13 0 — — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Qualification round II

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

The top two teams in each group qualify will advance to the next round. The draw was on 8 December 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[10]

Group A

13–15 February 2026, Elektrėnai, Lithuania.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification SLI ZAI CET
1 Sliema ASC Nexawin 2 2 0 0 0 35 24 +11 6 Final Eight — — 23–14
2 EVK Zaibas (H) 2 1 0 0 1 31 23 +8 3 10–12 — 21–11
3 Cetus Espoo 2 0 0 0 2 25 44 −19 0 — — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group B

13–15 February 2026, Maribor, Slovenia.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification GIL MAR BAN
1 San Giljan ASC 2 2 0 0 0 48 21 +27 6 Final Eight — — —
2 AVK Branik Maribor (H) 2 1 0 0 1 53 32 +21 3 19–21 — 34–11
3 VK Banja Luka 2 0 0 0 2 13 61 −48 0 2–27 — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group C

13–15 February 2026, Istanbul, Turkey.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ENK GAL CAR
1 Enka Sport Club 2 2 0 0 0 35 21 +14 6 Final Eight — — 20–7
2 Galatasaray SK (H) 2 1 0 0 1 42 19 +23 3 14–15 — 28–4
3 Carouge Natation 2 0 0 0 2 11 48 −37 0 — — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group D

13–15 February 2026, Maribor, Slovenia.

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification VIT HEY MOU
1 Vitória SC 2 2 0 0 0 29 26 +3 6 Final Eight — — 18–17
2 Heybeliada ASC 2 0 1 0 1 25 27 −2 2 9–11 — —
3 RD Mouscronnois 2 0 0 1 1 33 34 −1 1 — 20–21[a] —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
  1. ^ Match ended 16–16. Heybeliada ASC won 4–5 on penalties.

Final classification

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup final classification

9–12th place group

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts MOU CAR CET BAN
9 RD Mouscronnois (H) 3 3 0 0 0 59 27 +32 9 — 10–9 16–11 33–7
10 Carouge Natation 3 2 0 0 1 45 28 +17 6 — — 14–9 22–9
11 Cetus Espoo 3 1 0 0 2 51 42 +9 3 — — — 31–12
12 VK Banja Luka 3 0 0 0 3 28 86 −58 0 — — — —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

13–18th place group

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts HAP SLO PEN NAV APO WEL
13 Hapoel Palram Zvulun 5 5 0 0 0 103 46 +57 15 — — — — 21–9 —
14 VK Ljubljana Slovan (H) 5 4 0 0 1 87 65 +22 12 13–17 — 19–14 — 16–11 21–13
15 West London Penguin 5 2 0 0 3 54 71 −17 6[a] 6–20 — — — 8–9 10–9
16 Club Naval Povoense 5 2 0 0 3 61 85 −24 6[a] 8–25 10–18 14–16 — 13–11 16–15
17 APOEL Nicosia 5 1 0 1 3 51 69 −18 4 — — — — — —
18 Welsh Wanderers 5 0 1 0 4 58 78 −20 2 10–20 — — — 21–20[b] —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host
Notes:
  1. ^ a b West London Penguin 16–14 Club Naval Povoense
  2. ^ Match ended 11–11. Welsh Wanderers won 10–9 on penalties.

Final Eight

Main article: 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Final Eight

The draw was on 16 February 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia.[11] The Final Eight was held in Istanbul by Enka Sport Club from 12–15 March 2026.[12]

Group A

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ZAI ENK MAR VIT
1 EVK Zaibas 3 3 0 0 0 47 34 +13 9 Semi-finals — — — 16–14
2 Enka Sport Club (H) 3 2 0 0 1 49 38 +11 6 11–16 — 21–13 17–9
3 AVK Branik Maribor 3 1 0 0 2 40 52 −12 3 5th place match 9–15 — — —
4 Vitória SC 3 0 0 0 3 39 51 −12 0 7th place match — — 16–18 —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
(H) Host

Group B

Pos Team Pld W PSW PSL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification GAL SLI GIL HEY
1 Galatasaray SK 3 3 0 0 0 55 25 +30 9 Semi-finals — — — 18–7
2 Sliema ASC Nexawin 3 2 0 0 1 46 49 −3 6 5–23 — 16–15 25–11
3 San Giljan ASC 3 1 0 0 2 50 46 +4 3 5th place match 13–14 — — —
4 Heybeliada ASC 3 0 0 0 3 34 65 −31 0 7th place match — — 16–22 —
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup

Knockout stage

Bracket

 
Semi-finalsFinal
 
      
 
 
 
 
 EVK Zaibas13 (5)
 
 
 
 Sliema ASC Nexawin13 (3)
 
 EVK Zaibas11
 
 
 
 Galatasaray SK13
 
 Galatasaray SK20
 
 
 Enka Sport Club9
 
Third place
 
 
 
 
 
 Sliema ASC Nexawin17
 
 
 Enka Sport Club15

Third place game

15 March 2026
10:00 		Report Sliema ASC Nexawin 17–15 Enka Sport Club Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul
Referees:
Manuel Manea (ROU), Roeland Sonnemans (NED)
Score by quarters: 4–6, 6–3, 5–3, 2–3
Cachia 4 Goals Duzenli 4

Final

15 March 2026
12:30 		Report EVK Zaibas 11–13 Galatasaray SK Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul
Referees:
Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Vlaho Radicevic (CRO)
Score by quarters: 6–5, 2–4, 1–2, 2–2
Jelača 4 Goals Gak 3


2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Champions

Galatasaray SK
Second title

Notes

  1. ^ From 10 countries

See also

References

  1. ^ https://europeanaquatics.org/challenger-cup-men-galatasaray-crowned-champions-in-istanbul-after-downing-zaibas-in-thrilling-final/
  2. ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Men Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  4. ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
  5. ^ "EUROPEAN AQUATICS WATER POLO CLUB COMPETITIONS" (PDF). 12 May 2025.
  6. ^ "European Aquatics Calendar - European Aquatics®". September 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "2025/26 Conference Cup and Challenger Cup water polo qualification groups determined - European Aquatics®". August 11, 2025.
  8. ^ Curcic, Ivan (August 11, 2025). "Conference Cup draw: Two former European champions in same qualification group".
  9. ^ "Women Club Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
  10. ^ "Challenger Cup Water Polo: Route to men's and women's finals revealed after Qualification Round II draw | European Aquatics®". europeanaquatics.org. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Challenger Cup Men: Final Eight promises several thrilling match-ups after Monday's draw | European Aquatics®". europeanaquatics.org. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  12. ^ https://www.instagram.com/p/DVc6w_xiEQA/
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