2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup
| 2025–26 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Water polo |
| Date | Qualification Round I: 5–7 December 2025 Qualification Round II: 6–8 March 2026 Final classification: 6–8 March 2026 Final Four: 21–22 March 2026 |
Tournament format(s) | Round Robin and Knockout stage |
| Teams | Qualification round I: 8 [a] Qualification round II: 4+2 to 8 Final classification: TBD Final Four: 4 Total: 8+2 to 8 (from 7 countries) |
| Website | [ Official website] |
The 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup is the 3rd edition of the water polo competition organised by European Aquatics.
Starting this season, it acts as the fourth tier, due to the introduction of the European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup.
The winners of the European Aquatics Challenger Cup automatically qualify for next season's Conference Cup (if they choose to enter).
Izmir BSB Spor are the defending champions.
Rankings
The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.[1]
- Associations 7–12 can have two teams ranked 4th and 5th qualify.
- Associations 13 and below can have four teams qualify.
Apart from the distribution based on the rankings, countries could have additional teams participating in the Challenger Cup, as noted below:
- (CC) – Additional teams dropping down from the Conference Cup
|
|
Ranking facts
| Biggest rise | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Ori | New | Move |
| 1 |  Turkey
|
13 | 8 |  +5
|
| 2 |  Czech Republic
|
19 | 15 | +4
|
| 3 |  Israel
|
16 | 13 | +3
|
| Biggest fall | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Team | Ori | New | Move |
| 1 |  Malta
|
10 | 12 |  –2
|
 Slovakia
|
14 | 16 | ||
| 2 |  France
|
6 | 7 | –1
|
.svg.png){kind=small} Portugal
|
9 | 10 | ||
 Sweden
|
17 | 18 | ||
 Bulgaria
|
18 | 19 | ||
| New entries |
|---|
 Romania
|
| Leaving entries |
|---|
 Russia
|
Teams
The teams finishing in fourth and fifth from national leagues ranked 7–12 and four teams from countries ranked 13 and below are permitted to enter.
Everyone who enters starts in the qualification round I.
Unlike last season, in the event that a club decides not to enter, the next best ranked team is not allowed to take their place.[4]
Qualified teams
The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc: League positions of the previous season
- CC: Transferred from the Conference Cup
- QR: Transferred from the Conference Cup qualification round I
| Entry round | Teams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Qualification round II |  Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
| |
| Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
|
Team (CC QR)
| ||
| Qualification round I | |||||
 SSV Esslingen (3rd)
|
ODTÜ SC (4th)
|
Nevşehir Belediye SK (5th)
|
 ZVU Partizan (3rd)
| ||
| Hapoel Emek Hayarden (2nd)
|
 Otter London (3rd)
|
AJ Fezko Strakonice (1st)
|
Slavia UK Bratislava WP (1st)
| ||
Name changes
The following teams' names were changed during the season.
Rounds and draw dates
Schedule
| Phase | Draw date | Round date[5] |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification round I | 11 August 2025 | 14–16 November 2025 |
| Qualification round II | TBD | 6–8 March 2026 |
| Final classification | ||
| Final Four | 21–22 March 2026 |
Qualification round I
The top two qualify for the next round. There was no draw, rather the groups were pre-selected for geographical reasons on 11 August 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia.[6][7]
Group A
- 5–7 December 2025, Strakonice, Czech Republic.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | STR | ESS | NEV | BRA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AJ Fezko Strakonice (H)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification round II | — | — | — | – | |
| 2 | SSV Esslingen
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | – | – | ||
| 3 | Nevşehir Belediye SK
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | Slavia UK Bratislava WP
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | — | — |
(H) Host
Group B
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | PSW | PSL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | PAR | OTT | HAP | ODTÜ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZVU Partizan (H)
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification round II | — | — | — | – | |
| 2 | Otter London
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | – | – | ||
| 3 | Hapoel Emek Hayarden
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | — | — | — | ||
| 4 | ODTÜ SC
|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | – | — | — |
(H) Host
Notes
- ^ From 7 countries
See also
- 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 European Aquatics Women's Super Cup
References
- ^ "Water Polo Rankings - European Aquatics®". August 3, 2025.
- ^ "Women Clubs Country Ranking - European Aquatics®". www.len.eu. August 3, 2025.
- ^ "Rankings PDF" (PDF).
- ^ Competiton regulations
- ^ "European Aquatics Calendar - European Aquatics®". September 28, 2023.
- ^ "2025/26 Conference Cup and Challenger Cup water polo qualification groups determined - European Aquatics®". August 11, 2025.
- ^ Curcic, Ivan (August 11, 2025). "Conference Cup draw: Two former European champions in same qualification group".
External links
- [ Official website]
- [ Official statistics of the tournament]