2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League
| 2025–26 | |
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Water polo |
| Date | Qualification round: 19–21 September 2025 Group stage: 14 October – 11 December 2025 Quarter-finals round: 3 March – 20 May 2026 Final Four: 11–13 June 2026 |
Tournament format(s) | Round Robin and Knockout stage |
| Teams | Qualification round: 10 [a] Main round: 16 [b] Quarter-finals round: 8 Total: 20 (from 10 countries) |
| Website | Official website |
The 2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League is 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 begins on 19 September 2025 and ended on 13 June 2026 with the Final Four.
This will be 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 qualify for next season's edition (if they choose to enter) and also qualify for the 2026 Super Cup.
FTC-Telekom are the defending champions.
Format
- Qualification round
Ten teams will participate 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) take part. The teams are divided into three separate groups, held in centralised venues. After round robin play, the top two teams in each group progress to the group stage.
- Group stage
Sixteen teams will play in the group stage which is 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 will compete. The participants are distributed into four groups of four. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualifies for the quarter-finals round while the bottom two drop down to the 2025–26 European Aquatics Euro Cup knockout stage.
- Quarter-finals round
The eight advancing teams from the previous round are present and are split into two groups of four. The round is organised between March and May 2026. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualifies for the Final Four.
- Final Four
In June 2026, the four remaining clubs travel to Malta's capital, Valletta, to try and obtain the Champions League trophy. Two semifinals, a third place game and final will take place to decide the champions.[1][2]
Rankings
The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[3]
- Associations 1–10 can have two teams ranked 1st and 2nd qualify.
- Associations 11–12 can have one team ranked 1st qualify.
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Ranking facts
| Biggest rise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Ori | New | Move |
| 1 |  Cyprus
|
28 | 22 |  +6
|
| 2 | .svg.png){kind=small} Portugal
|
17 | 14 | +3
|
 Israel
|
24 | 21 | ||
| Biggest fall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Ori | New | Move |
| 1 |  Russia
|
13 | 26 |  –13
|
| 2 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
20 | 25 | –5
|
| 3 |  Denmark
|
25 | 29 | –4
|
| New entries |
|---|
| None |
| Leaving entries |
|---|
| None |
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.[1]
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 round | Teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main round |  Pro Recco EC (1st)
|
 FTC-Telekom CL (1st)
|
 Zodiac Atlètic-Barceloneta (1st)
|
 Radnički Kragujevac (1st)
| |
 Olympiacos 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 (2nd)
| |
| NC 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.
Round and draw dates
Schedule
| Phase | Round | Draw dates | Round date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification round | All rounds | 28 July 2025 | 19–21 September 2025 |
| Group 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 2025 | ||
| Quarter-finals round | Matchday 1 | TBD | 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 2026 | ||
| Final 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.[6][7] The seeding is based off the club rankings.[8][9]
Group A
19–21 September 2025, Belgrade, Serbia
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | NOV | STE | KOT | PAY | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Novi Beograd (H)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Group stage | — | — | — | – | |
| 2 | Steaua București
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | – | – | ||
| 3 | Primorac Kotor
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Pays d'Aix Natation
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | — | — |
Group B
19–21 September 2025, Sabadell, Spain
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | SAB | VAS | SPA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KEIO CN Sabadell (H)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Group stage | — | — | – | |
| 2 | Vasas SC
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | – | ||
| 3 | Spandau 04
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
Group C
19–21 September 2025, Zagreb, Croatia
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | BRE | VOU | MLA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AN Brescia
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Group stage | — | — | – | |
| 2 | NC Vouliagmeni
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — | ||
| 3 | HAVK Mladost Zagreb (H)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — |
Group stage
Red: Group A; 
Blue: Group B; 
Yellow: Group C; 
Green: Group DNotes
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
- ^ a b Competition regulations
- ^ "European Aquatics unveils plans for 2025/26 water polo season - European Aquatics®". June 1, 2025.
- ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
- ^ "Men Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
- ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
- ^ "Champions League and Euro Cup water polo draws set for Monday - European Aquatics®". July 26, 2025.
- ^ "Dramatic clashes await after Champions League and Euro Cup draws - European Aquatics®". July 28, 2025.
- ^ "Men Club Ranking - European Aquatics®". February 20, 2023.
- ^ Curcic, Ivan (July 26, 2025). "Draw for European cups: 20 teams in Champions League, and 21 in Euro Cup pots".