The 2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League was the 63rd edition of European Aquatics's premier competition for men's water polo clubs, and the 15th edition since being rebranded from the Euroleague to the Champions League. The season began on 19 September 2025 and ended on 13 June 2026 with the Final Four.
This was the third straight season under the new format, however, this season will witness a change in slot allocation, with only the top two from domestic leagues being allowed to take part.
The winners of the European Aquatics Champions League automatically qualified for next season's edition (if they choose to enter) and also qualified for the 2026 Super Cup.
FTC-Telekom were the defending champions.
Zodiac Atlètic-Barceloneta won their second title with a win over Pro Recco in the final.
Format Qualification round Ten teams participated in the qualification round in September 2025. The runners-up from national leagues ranked 1–10 and champions of the national leagues ranked 11–12 (if they choose to enter) took part. The teams were divided into three separate groups, held in centralised venues. After round robin play, the top two teams in each group progressed to the group stage.
Group stage Sixteen teams played in the group stage which was held between October 2025 to February 2026. The champions of national leagues ranked 1–10 plus the six clubs who advanced from the qualification round competed. The participants were distributed into four groups of four. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualified for the quarter-finals round while the bottom two dropped down to the 2025–26 European Aquatics Euro Cup knockout stage.
Quarter-finals round The eight advancing teams from the previous round were present and were split into two groups of four. The round was organised between March and May 2026. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualified for the Final Four.
Final Four In June 2026, the four remaining clubs traveled to Malta's capital, Valletta, to try and obtain the Champions League trophy. Two semifinals, a third place game and final took place to decide the champions.Competition regulations
Rankings The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.
Associations 1–10 can have two teams ranked 1st and 2nd qualify. Associations 11–12 can have one team ranked 1st qualify.
RankAssociationPointsTeams1 Italy99,917.522 Hungary80,4653 Serbia71,5104 Spain69,187.55 Greece59,917.56 Croatia59,642.57 France41,1958 Germany24,812.59 Romania23,817.510 Montenegro18,647.511 Georgia10,292.5012 Netherlands5,79013 Turkey5,722.514 Portugal5,292.515 Switzerland4,245
RankAssociationPointsTeams16 Slovenia3,800017 Lithuania3,677.518 Slovakia3,55519 Great Britain2,28020 Belgium2,17021 Israel1,85022 Cyprus1,49023 Malta1,47224 Finland1,42025 Bosnia and Herzegovina1,19026 Russia1,087.527 Bulgaria37028 Poland317.529 Denmark280
Ranking facts Biggest riseTeam1 Cyprus2822 +62 Portugal1714 +3 Israel2421 Biggest fallTeam1 Russia1326 –132 Bosnia and Herzegovina2025 –53 Denmark2529 –4 New entriesNone Leaving entriesNone
Teams Starting this season, only the champions and runners-up teams from national leagues ranked 1–10 and champions from national leagues ranked 11–12 are permitted to enter. Starting this season, champions from countries ranked below the top 12 are not permitted to enter.
The Champions League and, for the first time, Euro Cup winners are granted a place in the Champions League group stage and qualification round respectively (however, both spots was not used as both clubs in question qualified via winning their domestic league).
Unlike last season, in the event that a club decides not to enter, the third place team is not allowed to take their place. Qualified teams The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: CL: Champions League title holders EC: Euro Cup title holders 1st, 2nd,: League positions of the previous season
Entry roundTeamsMain round Pro Recco EC (1st) FTC-Telekom CL (1st) Zodiac Atlètic-Barceloneta (1st) Radnički Kragujevac (1st) Olympiacos SF Piraeus (1st) Jadran Split (1st) CN Marseille (1st) Waspo'98 Hannover (1st) Jadran m:tel Herceg Novi (1st) CSM Oradea (1st) Qualification round AN Brescia (2nd) Vasas SC (2nd) KEIO CN Sabadell (2nd) Novi Beograd Tehnomanija (2nd) NO Vouliagmeni (2nd) HAVK Mladost Zagreb (2nd) Pays d'Aix Natation (2nd) Spandau 04 (2nd) Steaua București (2nd) Primorac Kotor (2nd)
Name changes The following teams' names were changed during the season. Original nameNew name Novi Beograd Novi Beograd Tehnomanija Matchday 6 (Group stage)
Round and draw dates Schedule Phase Round Draw dates Round date Qualification round All rounds 28 July 2025 19–21 September 2025Group stage Matchday 1 14–15 October 2025 Matchday 2 28–29 October 2025 Matchday 3 11–12 November 2025 Matchday 4 18–19 November 2025 Matchday 5 2–3 December 2025 Matchday 6 10–11 December 2025Quarter-finals round Matchday 1 16 February 2026 3–4 March 2026 Matchday 2 24–25 March 2026 Matchday 3 31 March – 1 April 2026 Matchday 4 21–22 April 2026 Matchday 5 12–13 May 2026 Matchday 6 19–20 May 2026Final Four Semifinals 11 June 2026 Final 13 June 2026
Qualification round
The group winners and runners-up qualify for the group stage, while everyone else drops down to the Euro Cup qualifiers. The draw was on 28 July 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia. The seeding is based on the club rankings.
Group A 19–21 September 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
Group B 19–21 September 2025, Sabadell, Spain
Group C 19–21 September 2025, Zagreb, Croatia
Group stage
The top two from each group make the quarter-finals round. The bottom two from each group drops down to the Euro Cup eighth-finals.
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 2 points for a penalty shootout win, 1 point for a penalty shootout loss, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:
Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in all group matches; Goals scored in all group matches.
This season, 13 of the 16 clubs from last season are present. HAVK Mladost Zagreb comes back after six years, while Italian sides, Pro Recco and AN Brescia return after a one edition absence.
Overall, a total of 10 countries are present in the group stage, down by one largely due to the restructuring of the European water polo competitions. Georgia are not present in the group stage for the first time since 2018–19.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Quarter-finals round
The four group winners and four group runners-up were drawn into two groups, with each one containing two group winners and two group runners-up. The top two teams in each group advanced to the Final Four.
Draw The draw took place in Zagreb on 16 February. The seeded and unseeded clubs consist of the teams that finished first and second in the previous round respectively. The only restriction was that clubs from the same group in the group stage could not be drawn against each other.
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 2 points for a penalty shootout win, 1 point for a penalty shootout loss, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:
Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in all group matches; Goals scored in all group matches.
Seeded Unseeded Olympiacos SF Piraeus Pro Recco FTC-Telekom Zodiac Atlètic-Barceloneta HAVK Mladost Zagreb Novi Beograd Tehnomanija AN Brescia Waspo'98 Hannover
Group A
Group B
Final Four
Once again the Final Four was held in Malta as part of the three-year deal signed in 2024. Although, it would held in conjunction with the women's Final Four this time round.https://europeanaquatics.org/2026-champions-league-men-and-women-final-fours-to-be-held-together/ The tournament was held on the 11–13 June 2026 at the National Pool Complex in Valletta, Malta.
Bracket
Third place match
Final
Notes
See also 2025–26 European Aquatics Euro Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Conference Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup 2025 European Aquatics Super Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Champions League 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Euro Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup 2025 European Aquatics Women's Super Cup
References
External links Official website