Get ready for a thrilling day of water polo action! The European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade 2026 are heating up, and Day 9 promises some intense matchups. Let's dive into the previews for Sunday, January 18th, with times adjusted to local Belgrade time.
Group Stage II
15:30: France vs. Spain
Spain is on fire! After a tough loss to Serbia, they've bounced back with dominant performances, crushing the Netherlands 14-7 and Montenegro 14-6. France, however, has struggled against Serbia, making them the likely next victims of the Spanish Armada.
Looking at their history, Spain has a significant edge, winning 13 of the 16 matches against France since the 2014 Europeans. France has only managed two wins, one in the 2018 Europa Cup prelims (9-6) and another in the 2022 World League qualifications (14-11). On the grand stage, Spain has consistently prevailed, including their recent 10-8 victory at the Paris Olympics. In the European Championships, Spain has won their last three encounters: 2014 (13-5), 2018 (7-4), and 2024 (9-6).
Fun Fact: Spain's scoring prowess comes from their top shooters: Alberto Munarriz (15 goals), Unai Biel (11), and Alvaro Granados (10). However, Bernat Sanahuja's performance has been surprisingly low, with only two goals from 18 shots, resulting in a mere 11.1% success rate.
18:00: Montenegro vs. Netherlands
Both Montenegro and the Netherlands are out of the running for the semi-finals, but this match still carries weight. The final standings here will influence qualification for the 2027 World Championships. The higher a team finishes in Belgrade, the better their chances of playing in Budapest next summer. The top three teams from this year's World Cup will qualify, and the remaining European spots will be decided in Belgrade.
Montenegro has a strong head-to-head record at majors, leading 4-0. Their last European encounter was in Belgrade a decade ago, where Montenegro won 13-6. They also faced off in the World Cup finals last April, with Montenegro edging out the Dutch 15-14 for 7th place.
Fun Fact: While Montenegro is coached by Serbian legend Dejan Savic, the Netherlands is led by a Montenegrin, Branko Mitrovic. He has fond memories of Belgrade, having led the Dutch U18 team to the semi-finals at the 2022 Europeans held there.
20:30: Hungary vs. Serbia
This is the clash everyone's waiting for! A win in regular time would guarantee Hungary a spot in the semi-finals, while any other result would leave the decision to the final round on Tuesday.
Hungary boasts a rich history in the European Championships, yet they face a daunting task: beating Serbia in Belgrade. The Serbs have won all 18 matches played in Belgrade across the 2006, 2016, and 2026 editions.
Historically, Hungary leads the head-to-head record at the Europeans 13-9, with two draws. However, the new millennium has seen Serbia dominate, with a 7-4 record against Hungary. The last two matches have gone to Hungary, including a historical smash in 2022 (16-7, Serbia's worst-ever defeat) and a shootout victory in 2024 (10-10, 5-4). They didn't meet in 2016, but they contested the final in 2006, with Serbia winning 8-7.
Hungary has claimed the last three matches they played – at the Olympics (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 members of the current Serbian squad play or have played in Hungary. Dusan Mandic is a key player for Champions League winners Ferencvaros, and Nikola Jaksic was part of the CL-winning side in 2019.
13th-16th Classification
10:15: Malta vs. Slovenia
Malta needs just one point to secure 13th place, holding a three-point advantage over Slovenia. If Slovenia wins in regular time, they'll take 13th place due to the equal points rule.
Malta has won both their matches in this classification tournament, against Israel and Slovakia. Slovenia has drawn both their matches, against Slovakia and Israel, winning the shootout on the first day but losing on the second.
They met in the same phase at the last two editions in Croatia. In 2022, Malta won 13-9. Two years ago, Slovenia took revenge and won 10-8.
12:45: Slovakia vs. Israel
A win for Malta in the earlier game would open the door for the winner of this match to claim 14th place.
Slovakia earned a single point 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, where Slovakia won 15-9.
So, what are your predictions for these exciting matches? Will Spain continue their dominance? Can Hungary finally overcome Serbia in Belgrade? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Don't forget to watch all the action live on Eurovision Sport and stay updated with European Aquatics on social media!
