2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Final Eight
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Water polo |
| Date | 12–15 March 2026 |
| Host |  Istanbul |
| Teams | 8 (from 6 countries) |
| Website | Official website |
| Final positions | |
| Champion | Galatasaray SK |
| Runner-up |  EVK Zaibas |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 18 |
The 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Final Eight is played between 12 and 15 March 2026 to determine the champions of the 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup.[1] The Final Eight is being held by Enka Sport Club in Istanbul.[2]
Format
[edit]The 8 teams were placed into two groups of four. In each group, teams will play against each other once in a round-robin format. The top two in each group advance to the semifinals.
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.
Draw
[edit]| External videos | |
|---|---|
| 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Final Eight – Draw | |
 | |
 Draw |
The draw was on 16 February 2026 in Zagreb, Croatia.[1] The draw started with, in order, pots 1 and 2 being drawn. The position for the team within the group would then be drawn (for the purpose of the schedule).
Seeding
[edit]The pots were decided by as follows:
- Pot 1 consisted of the group winners of the Challenger Cup qualification round II
- Pot 2 consisted of the group runners-up of the Challenger Cup qualification round II.
| Team |
|---|
 Sliema ASC Nexawin |
| San Giljan ASC |
| Enka Sport Club (H) |
 Vitória SC |
| Team |
|---|
| EVK Zaibas |
 AVK Branik Maribor |
| Galatasaray SK |
| Heybeliada ASC |
Draw results
[edit]| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| A1 | Enka Sport Club (H) |
| A2 | AVK Branik Maribor |
| A3 | EVK Zaibas |
| A4 | Vitória SC |
| Pos | Team |
|---|---|
| B1 | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
| B2 | Galatasaray SK |
| B3 | Heybeliada ASC |
| B4 | San Giljan ASC |
Groups
[edit]Group A
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | ZAI | ENK | MAR | VIT | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EVK Zaibas |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 34 | +13 | 9 | Semi-finals | — | — | — | 16–14 | |
| 2 | Enka Sport Club (H) |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 49 | 38 | +11 | 6 | 11–16 | — | 21–13 | 17–9 | ||
| 3 | AVK Branik Maribor |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 3 | 5th place match | 9–15 | — | — | — | |
| 4 | Vitória SC |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 51 | −12 | 0 | 7th place match | — | — | 16–18 | — |
| 12 March 2026 13:00 |
Report | Enka Sport Club |
17–9 | Vitória SC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Lukasz Krol (POL), Peter Radic (SVK) |
| Score by quarters: 2–3, 4–2, 4–3, 7–1 | |||||
| Duzenli 6 | Goals | four players 2 | |||
| 12 March 2026 15:30 |
Report | AVK Branik Maribor |
9–15 | EVK Zaibas |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Jakub Necas (CZE) |
| Score by quarters: 3–4, 1–4, 5–4, 0–3 | |||||
| Kačič 3 | Goals | Vrdoljak 3 | |||
| 13 March 2026 08:45 |
Report | Enka Sport Club |
11–16 | EVK Zaibas |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Ruben Garcia (SUI), Roeland Sonnemans (NED) |
| Score by quarters: 2–5, 3–6, 2–3, 4–2 | |||||
| Dervisis 7 | Goals | Vrdoljak 6 | |||
| 13 March 2026 10:30 |
Report | Vitória SC |
16–18 | AVK Branik Maribor |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Vlaho Radicevic (CRO), Manuel Manea (ROU) |
| Score by quarters: 4–5, 5–5, 4–3, 3–5 | |||||
| Ramos 5 | Goals | Brcic, Pevec 4 | |||
| 13 March 2026 16:45 |
Report | Enka Sport Club |
21–13 | AVK Branik Maribor |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Vlaho Radicevic (CRO) |
| Score by quarters: 4–1, 7–4, 3–6, 7–2 | |||||
| Dervisis, Duzenli 7 | Goals | Pevec 4 | |||
| 13 March 2026 18:30 |
Report | EVK Zaibas |
16–14 | Vitória SC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Jakub Necas (CZE), Lukasz Krol (POL) |
| Score by quarters: 2–3, 5–4, 4–2, 5–5 | |||||
| Andrejaitis, Petrovski 3 | Goals | Ferreira, Lopes 3 | |||
Group B
[edit]| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | GAL | SLI | GIL | HEY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Galatasaray SK |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 25 | +30 | 9 | Semi-finals | — | — | — | 18–7 | |
| 2 | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 49 | −3 | 6 | 5–23 | — | 16–15 | 25–11 | ||
| 3 | San Giljan ASC |
3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 50 | 46 | +4 | 3 | 5th place match | 13–14 | — | — | — | |
| 4 | Heybeliada ASC |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 34 | 65 | −31 | 0 | 7th place match | — | — | 16–22 | — |
Source: European Aquatics Challenger Cup
| 12 March 2026 18:00 |
Report | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
16–15 | San Giljan ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Vlaho Radicevic (CRO), Ruben Garcia (SUI) |
| Score by quarters: 5–4, 2–4, 5–2, 4–5 | |||||
| Galea, Gitto 3 | Goals | Vavic 7 | |||
| 12 March 2026 20:30 |
Report | Galatasaray SK |
18–7 | Heybeliada ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Roeland Sonnemans (NED), Manuel Manea (ROU) |
| Score by quarters: 6–2, 3–5, 3–0, 6–0 | |||||
| Erdağ 4 | Goals | Demirel 3 | |||
| 13 March 2026 12:15 |
Report | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
25–11 | Heybeliada ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Lukasz Krol (POL) |
| Score by quarters: 8–2, 6–0, 5–3, 6–6 | |||||
| Cachia 5 | Goals | Gedik 3 | |||
| 13 March 2026 14:00 |
Report | San Giljan ASC |
13–14 | Galatasaray SK |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Jakub Necas (CZE), Peter Radic (SVK) |
| Score by quarters: 5–1, 3–5, 2–2, 3–6 | |||||
| Vavic 7 | Goals | Gak 3 | |||
| 13 March 2026 20:15 |
Report | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
5–23 | Galatasaray SK |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Roeland Sonnemans (NED), Peter Radic (SVK) |
| Score by quarters: 3–4, 0–6, 2–6, 0–7 | |||||
| Cachia, Zammit 2 | Goals | Gak 3 | |||
| 13 March 2026 22:00 |
Report | Heybeliada ASC |
16–22 | San Giljan ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Manuel Manea (ROU), Ruben Garcia (SUI) |
| Score by quarters: 3–8, 5–3, 5–5, 3–6 | |||||
| Sonmez 6 | Goals | Plumpton 6 | |||
Knockout stage
[edit]7th place match
[edit]| 7th place match | ||
| 14 March | ||
| Vitória SC | 18 | |
| Heybeliada ASC | 9 | |
| 14 March 2026 13:00 |
Report | Vitória SC |
18–9 | Heybeliada ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Jakub Necas (CZE), Roeland Sonnemans (NED) |
| Score by quarters: 6–4, 3–1, 3–3, 6–1 | |||||
| Ramos 7 | Goals | Gulsoy, Sonmez 2 | |||
5th place match
[edit]| 5th place match | ||
| 14 March | ||
| AVK Branik Maribor | 9 | |
| San Giljan ASC | 24 | |
| 14 March 2026 15:30 |
Report | AVK Branik Maribor |
9–24 | San Giljan ASC |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Lukasz Krol (POL) |
| Score by quarters: 4–6, 2–4, 1–7, 2–7 | |||||
| Bucalo 3 | Goals | Plumpton 6 | |||
Bracket
[edit]| Semi-finals | Final | |||||
| EVK Zaibas | 13 (5) | |||||
| Sliema ASC Nexawin | 13 (3) | |||||
| EVK Zaibas | 11 | |||||
| Galatasaray SK | 13 | |||||
| Galatasaray SK | 20 | |||||
| Enka Sport Club | 9 | |||||
| Third place | ||||||
| Sliema ASC Nexawin | 17 | |||||
| Enka Sport Club | 15 | |||||
Semifinals
[edit]| 14 March 2026 18:00 |
Report | EVK Zaibas |
18–16 (PSO) | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Ruben Garcia (SUI), Peter Radic (SVK) |
| Score by quarters: 2–1, 3–3, 2–6, 6–3 PSO: 5–3 | |||||
| Jelača 7 | Goals | Ivović 6 | |||
| 14 March 2026 20:30 |
Report | Galatasaray SK |
20–9 | Enka Sport Club |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Manuel Manea (ROU), Vlaho Radicevic (CRO) |
| Score by quarters: 5–3, 5–3, 5–2, 5–1 | |||||
| Naipoglu 6 | Goals | three players 2 | |||
Third place game
[edit]| 15 March 2026 10:00 |
Report | Sliema ASC Nexawin |
17–15 | Enka Sport Club |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Manuel Manea (ROU), Roeland Sonnemans (NED) |
| Score by quarters: 4–6, 6–3, 5–3, 2–3 | |||||
| Cachia 4 | Goals | Duzenli 4 | |||
Final
[edit]| 15 March 2026 12:30 |
Report | EVK Zaibas |
11–13 | Galatasaray SK |
Enka Sport Club Pool, Istanbul Referees: Andreja Stanojevic (SRB), Vlaho Radicevic (CRO) |
| Score by quarters: 6–5, 2–4, 1–2, 2–2 | |||||
| Jelača 4 | Goals | Gak 3 | |||
Notes
[edit]See also
[edit]- 2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League
- 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
[edit]Matchday reports
[edit]| Reference |
|---|
| Matchday 1 |
| Matchday 2 |
| Matchday 3 |
| Matchday 4 |
- 1 2 "Challenger Cup Men: Final Eight promises several thrilling match-ups after Monday's draw | European Aquatics®". February 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2025–26 European Aquatics Challenger Cup Final Eight.
