Belgrade 2026: Day 1 Match Previews

Men's European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade 2026

Match previews, Day 1 - Saturday 10 January (local times shown)

Hungary, the all-time medal leader with 13 titles and 26 medals, celebrates the 100th anniversary of their first European title in 1926. They've dominated since 1993, missing the semis only once and claiming 13 medals.
France, a silver medalist in 1927, has struggled to maintain top-8 finishes until 2022. They faced a setback in 2020, dropping to 9th place.
Recent matches: Hungary tied and won a shootout against France in Paris, and then beat them in Trebinje. Their last European match was a 12-7 win over France in 2014.
Recent tournaments: Hungary won against France in the Paris Olympics and World Cup Division I. France's surprise win over Hungary in the 2024 World Championships quarter-finals was a notable upset.
Coaches' connection: Zsolt Varga and Vjekoslav Kobescak, the respective coaches, played together in Mladost Zagreb in the late 1990s and shared hotel rooms on trips.

18.00 Malta vs Montenegro

Malta, making its sixth appearance, typically finishes 15th or 16th, with a best finish of 14th in 2022.
Montenegro, the 2008 debutant, won the European title in Malaga. They've reached the semis four times and won silver in 2012 and 2016.
Their only previous European meeting was in 2018, with Montenegro winning 17-5.
Coach Dejan Savic, a key figure: He led Serbia to triumph in 2016 in Belgrade, defeating Montenegro in the final.

Group C

12.45 Israel vs Spain

Israel, in its fourth European Championship, finished 12th in Split and 16th in Zagreb/Dubrovnik two years ago.
Spain, the 2024 European champion, had a long wait for its first gold. They've won silver and bronze multiple times but never gold until 2024.
Spain's recent success: They've made the podium in 11 major events since 2018, except for the Olympics, where they've been empty-handed in the last seven editions.
Spain is the current European champion, world champion, and World Cup winner.
This is the first match between the two teams.
Spain's recent performance: They've lost only one regular-time match in the last four European Championships, to Hungary in the 2022 semi-finals. They've won shootouts in 2018 and 2020 finals.

20.30 Netherlands vs Serbia

Netherlands, with a bronze in 1938, struggled until 1993 but has improved since, with 9th place in 1997 as its best recent performance.
Serbia, the host nation, has five titles since independence and eight European golds since 2001. They had a remarkable run with nine consecutive podium finishes from 2001 to 2018, including four straight titles.
Recent performances: Serbia missed the semis in the last three editions and has no medals from the last five World Championships and World Cups. They won the Olympics in 2021 and 2024.
Recent matches: Serbia won against the Netherlands in 2018 and 2020, but the Netherlands won a shootout in 2022. The Dutch caused an upset by beating Croatia in Rotterdam, while Serbia struggled.
Host nation advantage: Serbia's 2006 gold win triggered a strong performance by host nations in subsequent championships, with eight wins or finals in the last 10 editions.

Stay tuned to the European Aquatics Water Polo social media for updates: Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Euro.Waterpolo) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/euro.waterpolo/).

Belgrade 2026: Day 1 Match Previews | Men’s European Water Polo Championships (2026)