Belgrade 2026 Water Polo: Day 1 Match Previews & Predictions! (2026)

Belgrade 2026: Day 1 Match Previews

Men's European Water Polo Championships, Belgrade 2026

Match Previews, Day 1 - Saturday, January 10 (local times shown)

Hungary, the all-time medal leader with 13 titles and 26 medals, is celebrating the 100th anniversary of their first European title in 1926. They've had a strong run in recent years, missing the semis only once in 16 editions and claiming a medal 13 times.
France achieved their best result on their debut in 1927, winning silver. They've usually finished in the top 8 until 1958 but struggled to reach the top again until 2022, when they finished 6th in Split. Two years ago, they dropped to 9th place.
The teams met twice during the recent prep season, with Hungary winning both games.
Their last match at the Europeans was in 2014, with Hungary winning 12-7 in the group stage in Budapest.
In major tournaments, Hungary has dominated recent clashes, winning the opening round at the Paris Olympics and the World Cup Division I tournament last year. However, France caused an upset at the World Championships in Doha 2024, beating Hungary in the quarter-finals.
Fun fact: The head coaches, Zsolt Varga of Hungary and Vjekoslav Kobescak of France, were teammates in Mladost Zagreb in the late 1990s and often shared hotel rooms on trips abroad.

18:00 Malta vs. Montenegro

Malta is making its sixth appearance at the European Championships, typically finishing in 15th or 16th place, with a best finish of 14th in 2022.
Montenegro debuted as an independent nation in 2008 and won the European title in Malaga. They've reached the semis four times and won silver medals in 2012 and 2016. In the last four editions, they've finished 6th in 2024.
Malta and Montenegro have met once at the Europeans, with Montenegro winning 17-5 in 2018.
Fun fact: Montenegro's head coach, Dejan Savic, led Serbia to European triumph in 2016 in the Belgrade Arena, defeating Montenegro in the final in front of a record 18,473 spectators.

Group C:

12:45 Israel vs. Spain

Israel is making its fourth appearance at the European Championships, finishing 12th in Split and 16th in Zagreb/Dubrovnik in the last two editions.
Spain, after a long wait, finally won the European Championship in 2024, their first title ever. They've participated since the second edition in 1927, winning three silver and four bronze medals.
Spain has made the podium in each major since 2018, except for the Olympics, where they've been empty-handed in the last seven editions since winning gold in 1996.
Fun fact: Spain has only lost once in regular time in the last four European Championships, to Hungary in the semi-finals in Split 2022. They've also had penalty losses but avenged them in the final.

20:30 Netherlands vs. Serbia

The Netherlands, after winning bronze in 1938, barely missed the top 8 until 1993. Their best effort was a title-winning run in 1950, and they've finished outside the top 8 only once, in 1991. After 1995, they've had a 9th-place finish in 1997, their best result in the last 12 appearances.
Hosts Serbia have five titles since gaining independence and eight European golds since 2001. They had an outstanding run with nine consecutive podium finishes from 2001 to 2018, winning seven golds, including four straight titles between 2012 and 2018.
However, Serbia has struggled in recent editions, failing to make the semis and finishing 5th, 9th, and 7th. They also finished with no medals in the last five World Championships and World Cups but won gold in the Olympics in 2021 and 2024.
The teams have met in three straight European tournaments, with Serbia winning each clash easily. However, the Netherlands caused a huge upset by beating Croatia in Rotterdam, while Serbia struggled to win matches. After a series of defeats, Serbia finally beat France in Trebinje on the last day.
Fun fact: When Serbia won gold as hosts in 2006, it triggered a massive run by host nations in the following championships. Eight times in the last 10 editions, the home team either won or reached the final, with Hungary and Croatia also achieving this feat.

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