Belgrade 2026: European Water Polo Championships - Day 7 Match Previews
The Men's European Water Polo Championships are heating up in Belgrade, and Day 7 promises some thrilling matches that could shake up the standings.
Group E: Montenegro vs Spain (15:30 local time)
This is the highlight of the day, with both teams currently sitting on 3 points each. With three points already dropped in the Group Stage (MNE lost to HUN, ESP lost to SRB), another defeat could push the losing side close to elimination from the semi-final race.
Montenegro and Spain have a fascinating history. Between 2010 and 2020, Montenegro remained unbeaten in 13 matches against Spain. They won eight and five matches ended in draws. However, at the Tokyo Olympics, Spain emerged victorious with an 8-6 win, and since then, they have dominated, leading 11-0. The trend continued at the World Championships, with Spain winning 7-6 in 2022, 15-12 in 2024, and 14-5 in 2025.
At the European Championships, they have faced each other less frequently. Two years ago, Spain won 14-12, and in Barcelona 2018, it was a 7-7 tie. Ten years ago in Belgrade, they also finished level at 8-8.
Fun fact: Montenegro's head coach, Dejan Savic, has a close friendship with Spain's boss, David Martin, who recalls their time as teammates in Barcelona as the most important period of his playing career.
Group E: Hungary vs Netherlands (18:00 local time)
Hungary is the only team in this group with maximum points from the group stage, with 6 points. Serbia has two wins, but one came after a shootout against the Netherlands. The Dutch showed their potential in the first evening, capable of challenging the top favorites when their game is on point.
The two sides met recently in Rotterdam, with Hungary emerging victorious 12-9 after overcoming a 2-6 deficit. In recent years, Hungary leads 4-0 in head-to-head matches, including a 21-11 win at the World Cup quarter-finals in 2025.
The last time they met at the Europeans was in 2018, with Hungary winning 12-9 in the eight-finals. Earlier in the season, the Dutch suffered heavy losses in two World League matches, 13-1 in Hungary and 13-6 away in the Netherlands.
Fun fact: Several key players of the Dutch team, like the Hessels twins and Lars ten Broek, either play or have recently played in Hungary, leaving an impact in the Hungarian league.
Group E: France vs Serbia (20:30 local time)
Since their crossover loss to France in 2022, which led to their worst-ever result at the Europeans (9th place), the Serbs have been seeking revenge for one of the most embarrassing defeats in their history.
With two losses from the Group Stage, the French need a miracle to reach the semis. Instead, they should aim to return to the top eight, which they fell from two years ago when the Serbs avenged Split 2022 in the crossovers.
Apart from the 10-9 shock in 2022, Serbia has never had significant issues defeating France. In total, the Serbs lead 16-1 in the last 15 years, with their most recent match ending in a 16-7 win for Serbia at the Trebinje tournament.
They also met in the Belgrade Arena almost exactly 10 years ago at the Europeans, with a score of 16-8 on January 14.
Fun fact: On their path to their third straight Olympic title, Serbia faced France in Paris in the 4th round of the group stage. A loss would have eliminated the Serbs before the knockout phase, something that had never happened to any title-holders before. Serbia won 15-8 and never looked back.
13th-16th Classification: Malta vs Israel (10:15 local time)
Both teams are seeking their first win in the tournament.
They met twice two years ago in the group stage, with Malta winning 13-11, and then again for 15th place, with Malta winning again, though only in a shootout. The thrilling match ended in a 12-12 tie, but Malta was better with the penalties (5-4).
13th-16th Classification: Slovenia vs Slovakia (12:45 local time)
These two teams have less than 24 hours to bounce back from their respective third defeats on Thursday, which denied them a spot in Group Stage II.
While Slovenia's loss was somewhat expected, Slovakia's defeat to Türkiye came as a huge disappointment.
They have met three times in the last two editions held in Croatia, with Slovakia leading 3-0. In 2024, they met in the group stage (in Division II), with the Slovaks winning 11-7. Then, for 13th place, it ended 14-10. Two years earlier in Split, the Slovaks secured a 11-5 victory to finish 15th.
Watch all the action live from Belgrade on Eurovision Sport (https://eurovisionsport.com/). For the full schedule/results/tables from the European Championships, click here (https://europeanaquatics.org/ewpc-2026/belgrade/schedule-and-results/#/schedule-bydate/ASM). For tickets to all the games at the men's European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, click here (https://tickets.rs/tour/europeanaquaticswaterpolochampionshipmenbelgrade20262321). Stay tuned to the European Aquatics Water Polo social media accounts for more news and live updates on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Euro.Waterpolo) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/euro.waterpolo/).
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By Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics
