The Men's European Water Polo Championship is an international men's water polo tournament. It takes place every 2 years under the auspices of the LEN. The reigning European champions are Hungary, Montenegro and Spain.
2028 European Water Polo Championship
The 2028 European Water Polo Championship will take place from January 10 to 23. The dates for the men's tournament have already been confirmed, but the host venue has not yet been announced. The competition will bring together Europe's leading national teams, which will compete for the continental title.
Where and when will it take place?
The 2028 European Water Polo Championship will be held from January 10 to 23, 2028. The host venue has not yet been announced.
The previous men's European Championship was held in January 2026 in Belgrade. Serbia won the tournament, Hungary finished second, and Greece claimed the bronze medal.
Who will participate?
The European Championship will feature 16 national teams. The final list of participants will be determined following the qualification tournaments.
The previous European Championship featured Serbia, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, France, Georgia, the Netherlands, Türkiye, Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Israel.
Tournament format
The men's European Championship features 16 teams. In the first stage, the national teams are divided into four groups of four.
After the group stage, the top teams advance to the second round, where two groups are formed. Results from matches between teams that met in the first stage are carried over to the second stage. Following the second group stage, the top teams advance to the semi-finals, while the remaining teams play classification matches to determine their final positions.
This format was used at the 2026 European Championship following its introduction by European Aquatics.
Main teams
Serbia — the reigning European champions. At the 2026 tournament in Belgrade, the team defeated Hungary 10–7 in the final to claim its third consecutive European title.
Hungary — one of the most successful national teams in the history of the tournament. Hungary has won 13 European Championships and is the most successful team in the men's competition.
Greece — the bronze medalist at the 2026 European Championship. The team defeated Italy 12–5 in the third-place match to win its first-ever medal at the men's European Championship.
Italy — traditionally one of Europe's leading national teams. Italy finished fourth at the 2026 European Championship.
Spain — the 2024 European champion. At the 2026 tournament, Spain finished fifth.
Croatia — one of Europe's most successful teams in recent years. Croatia won the 2022 European Championship and finished runner-up in 2024.
History of the Championship
The first European Water Polo Championship was held in Budapest in 1926. The 2026 tournament in Belgrade was the 37th men's European Championship and took place exactly 100 years after the inaugural competition.
Until 1997, water polo was part of the European Aquatics Championships. Since 1999, the men's European Water Polo Championship has been held as a separate tournament.
Hungary is the most successful team in the history of the men's European Championship, with 13 gold medals.
Results of previous European Championships
| Year | Host country | 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Serbia | Serbia | Hungary | Greece |
| 2024 | Croatia | Spain | Croatia | Italy |
| 2022 | Croatia | Croatia | Hungary | Spain |
2030 European Water Polo Championship
The next European Water Polo Championship after the 2028 tournament is scheduled for 2030. The exact dates and host venue have not yet been announced.
Where and when will it take place
Keep an eye on the dates of the water polo championships and other events in our Sports Events Calendar.
