Belgrade 2026: European Water Polo Championships Day 9 match previews

Men’s European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade 2026

Match previews, Day 9 – Sunday 18 January
(local times shown)

Group Stage II
Group E

15:30 France v Spain

• Spain are on the rise – after their loss to Serbia, they came up with back-to-back flawless performances and smashed the Netherlands 14-7 and Montenegro 14-6, a pair of true power demonstrations. In contrast, France were unable to provide much resistance against the Serbs and it’s hard not to see them as the next casualties of the Spanish Armada.

• Spain have won 13 of the 16 matches these two teams have played since the 2014 Europeans – besides a draw, the French had two wins, one in the 2018 Europa Cup prelims (9-6) and one in the 2022 World League qualifications (14-11). But on the big stage, the Spanish have dominated, including in their last game, played at the Paris Olympics where Spain won 10-8.

• At the Europeans, Spain have won their last three encounters: 2014: 13-5, 2018: 7-4, 2024: 9-6.

• Fun fact: Not surprisingly, Spain’s scoring is carried by their top master shooters, Alberto Munarriz (15 goals), Unai Biel (11) and Alvaro Granados (10, though he’s only played in three matches) are already in double digits. However, their fourth musketeer, Bernat Sanahuja, has produced an astonishingly poor ratio so far, scoring only two goals from 18 shots, for 11.1%.

Group Stage II
Group E

18:00 Montenegro v Netherlands

• With three points and one point respectively, these two sides’ hopes of making the semis are over. Still, the game has high stakes as the qualification for the 2027 World Championships will partly depend on the final classification of this championship. The higher a team finishes in Belgrade, the bigger chance they have to play in Budapest next summer (this year’s World Cup will offer the top three berths – and those Europeans with no success there, will qualify from Belgrade, three teams in the first step).

• At majors, Montenegro hold a 4-0 lead in the head-to-head record. Their last match at the Europeans was here in Belgrade, 10 years ago, then the Montenegrins won 13-6. Last April, they faced off for the 7th place in the World Cup finals and Montenegro edged out the Dutch 15-14.

• Fun fact: While Montenegro are currently coached by Serbian legend Dejan Savic, the Netherlands are led by a Montenegrin, Branko Mitrovic. He was a player and then a coach in the country for 16 years and has great memories from Belgrade too as he led the Dutch U18 team to the semis at the 2022 Europeans, held here.

Group Stage II
Group E

20:30 Hungary v Serbia

• The big match everyone wants to see, featuring the two giants. The picture is clear – a regular time win would send the Hungarians to the semis right away, with any other outcome leaving the decision to the last round on Tuesday.

• No other country has enjoyed so much success in the 100-year history of the Europeans as Hungary – still, they are facing a task no one has ever succeeded with, to beat Serbia in Belgrade at a European Championships. Across the three editions here, 2006, 2016 and 2026, the Serbs have won all 18 matches they have played so far (this includes that opening day shootout win over the Netherlands).

• At the Europeans, the two sides have played 25 matches (including the Yugoslav era, since 1934), Hungary are leading 13-9, with two draws. In the previous century, they were 9-2 up, the new millennium belongs to the Serbs who are bettering them 4-7, though the last two matches went to Hungary. In 2022, the historical smash (16-7, Serbia’s worst-ever defeat at any majors), then in 2024, a shootout victory by the young Magyars (10-10, 5-4).

• They didn’t meet in 2016, but contested the final in 2006 when the Serbs won 8-7.

• Hungary claimed the last three matches they played – at the Olympics (a stake-less group stage game, 17-13), a prep match in Budapest last summer (13-12) and their thriller at the 2025 World Championships semi-final in Singapore (19-18). The Serbs’ last win came at the Doha Worlds, in the 5-8th crossovers (11-10).

• Fun fact: Eight of the current Serbian squad played or play in Hungary. Dusan Mandic is a key member of Champions League winners Ferencvaros and Nikola Jaksic was a member of the CL-winning side in 2019. Strahinja Rasovic and Sava Randelovic left Vasas last summer, Milos Cuk spent four seasons in Eger and in Szolnok and Djordje Lazic, Radomir Drasovic and Viktor Rasovic spent a couple of seasons in Szolnok too.

13th-16th Classification

10:15 Malta v Slovenia

• Malta need one point to keep the 13th place as they have a three-point advantage ahead of the Slovenians. If Slovenia win in regular time, they will take the 13th place thanks to the equal points rule.

• Malta won both their matches in this classification tournament so far, against Israel and Slovakia. Slovenia drew both their encounters, against Slovakia and Israel, won the shootout on the first day, but lost on the second.

• They met at the last two editions in Croatia, in the same phase. In 2022, Malta had it with 13-9. Two years ago, Slovenia took revenge and won 10-8.

12:45 Slovakia v Israel

• A win for Malta in the earlier game would open the door for the winner of this match (in regular time) to claim the 14th place.

• Slovakia earned a single point so far for their shootout loss to Slovenia. Israel, after four straight defeats, upended the Slovenians in the shootout to earn their first points and to leave Slovakia the only team in the championship without a win.

• These two teams have met only once at the Europeans, two years ago in Dubrovnik, in the same stage, where Slovakia won 15-9.

—

Watch all the action live from Belgrade on Eurovision Sport

For the full schedule/results/tables from the European Championships, click here

For tickets to all the games at the men’s European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, click here

Stay tuned to the European Aquatics Water Polo social media accounts for more news and live updates on Facebook and Instagram

Gergely Csurka for European Aquatics

The post Belgrade 2026: European Water Polo Championships Day 9 match previews first appeared on European Aquatics®.