The future stars of European water polo are competing for glory in Istanbul this week at the European Men’s U16 Championship of the Elite Division.
Simultaneously, teams in Division 1 are competing in Ljubljana.
This year, there has been a change in the competition system: the U16 Championships have replaced the U15 Championships. There were no qualifications. Instead, the top 16 teams from the 2023 European U15 Championships held in Podgorica have entered the Elite Division, while the remaining teams are competing in Division 1 in Ljubljana.
At the conclusion of the tournaments, the top two teams in Division 1 will be promoted to a higher rank, whereas the teams that finish in 15th and 16th place in the Elite Division will be relegated to Division 1 for the 2026/27 season.
2025 Elite Men’s European U16 Championships, Istanbul, Group Stage
The group stage finished in Istanbul this evening. Serbia, Spain, Italy and Greece are already in the quarterfinals. Hungary, Turkiye, Montenegro, Croatia, Netherlands, Romania, Georgia and Germany will play in the crossover round.
The format of the competition remains unchanged. Eight teams are competing in Division 1, divided into Groups A and B, which is more appropriately referred to as Subdivision 1. The top two teams from each group qualify directly for the quarterfinals. The teams finishing in 3rd and 4th place in Groups A and B, along with the top two teams from Groups C and D, will participate in the crossover round.
Serbia and Spain advanced to the quarterfinals from Group A. On the opening day, Spain defeated Hungary 16:10, despite trailing 6-7 at halftime. Serbia struggled to beat Turkey (11:10).
In the second round, Serbia defeated Hungary 14:9. While Hungary initially performed strongly, leading 9:7 by the middle of the third period, Serbia dominated the last part of the game, scoring 7 unanswered goals to win 14:7. Spain faced a tough challenge from Turkey. The teams were tied at 10:10 before the final eight minutes, but Spain took control in the fourth quarter and won 14:12.
Today, Serbia defeated Spain 14:12 to clinch the top spot in Group A. Midway through the second period, Spain held a slight 5:4 lead. However, Serbia responded with five consecutive goals, taking a 9:5 lead and didn’t let Spain come close in the rest of the match. Hungary convincingly defeated Turkey 17:10, earning its first win in the tournament and finishing the group stage in 3rd place. The hosts will seek their first victory in the crossover round match against the Netherlands.
In Group B, Greece and Italy got off to a strong start. On Day 1, Greece defeated Croatia 17:10, while Italy won against Montenegro 17:11.
The second day brought more excitement when Croatia faced Italy. Italy led 8:4 at halftime. However, Croatia made a comeback with a 7:3 third period, tying the game at 11:11. The fourth quarter was thrilling, featuring 10 goals, but Italy emerged victorious with a 7:3 performance, winning the match 18:14.
The third day kicked off with a match between Montenegro and Croatia. After a tightly contested 32 minutes, the teams were tied at 12:12. Montenegro excelled in the penalty shootout, securing a 17:16 victory and finishing in 3rd place. Italy claimed 1st place, defeating Greece 19:15. Italy earned an 11:9 lead in the first 16 minutes, but Greece staged a comeback, leading 13:12 late in the third period. Italy responded with a 5:0 run by the middle of the fourth period, establishing a crucial 17:13 advantage.
Sub-division 1
Group A
Round 1: Hungary – Spain 10:16, Serbia – Turkiye 11:10
Round 2: Hungary – Serbia 9:14, Turkiye – Spain 12:14.
Round 3: Serbia – Spain 14:12, Hungary – Turkiye 17:10
Final standings: 1. Serbia 9, 2. Spain 6, 3. Hungary 3, 4. Turkiye 0.
Final standings:
Group B
Round 1: Greece – Croatia 17:10, Montenegro – Italy 11:17
Round 2: Croatia – Italy 14:18, Montenegro – Greece 11:16
Round 3: Montenegro – Croatia 17:16 – PSO (12:12), Greece – Italy 15:19.
Final standings: 1. Italy 9, 2. Greece 6, 3. Montenegro 2, 4. Croatia 1.
Sub-division 2
As for Subdivision 2, the Netherlands, Georgia, Germany, and Romania advanced to the crossover round. The remaining teams will play the classification matches to avoid relegation. Actually, only one team will be relegated. Israel, which was drawn in Group D, withdrew, so there were seven teams in Sub-division 2, and only the 15th-placed team will lose its place in the Elite.
Group C
Round 1: Malta – Georgia 8:11, Netherlands – Moldova 19:13
Round 2: Moldova – Georgia 11:17, Malta – Netherlands 14:22.
Round 3: Malta – Moldova 14:11, Netherlands – Georgia 16:8.
Final standings: 1. Netherlands 9, 2. Georgia 6, 3. Malta 3, 4. Moldova 0.
Group D
(Only three teams competed in this group because Israel withdrew)
Round 1: Germany – Poland 27:6. Romania bye.
Round 2: Romania – Poland 18:7. Germany bye
Round 3: Germany – Romania 16:11. Poland bye
Final standings: 1. Germany 6, 2. Romania 3, 3. Poland 0.
Crossover round and Quarterfinals
Crossover round (Tuesday): Netherlands – Turkiye, Montenegro – Romania, Hungary– Georgia, Croatia – Germany
Quarterfinals (Friday): Italy – Turkiye/Netherlands, Spain – Montenegro/Romania, Greece – Hungary/Georgia, Serbia – Croatia/Germany
2025 Division 1 Men’s European U16 Championships, Ljubljana, Group Stage
Twelve teams are competing in Ljubljana. They have been drawn into two groups. The 1st-placed and 2nd-placed will qualify for the semifinals and continue battling for the promotion to Elite division.
Group A
Round 1: Bulgaria – Slovakia 15:9, France – Portugal 17:11, Slovenia – Cyprus 14:12.
Round 2: Portugal – Slovakia 14:18, Cyprus – France 11:18, Bulgaria – Slovenia 15:14.
Round 3: Portugal – Cyprus 6:17, France – Bulgaria 9:10, Slovakia – Slovenia 16:17
Standings: 1. Bulgaria 9, 2. France 6, 3. Slovenia 6, 4. Cyprus 3, 5. Slovakia 3, 6. Portugal 0.
Group B
Round 1: Czech Republic – Bosnia and Herzegovina 9:21, Ukraine – Latvia 41:4, Switzerland – Lithuania 11:9.
Round 2: Latvia – Bosnia and Herzegovina 2:27, Lithuania – Ukraine 12:13, Czech Republic – Switzerland 9:15.
Round 3: Latvia – Lithuania 4:21, Ukraine – Czech Republic 10:4, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Switzerland 13:11.
Standings: 1. Ukraine 9, 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina 9, 3.Switzerland 6, 4. Lithuania 3, 4.Czech Republic 0, 6. Latvia 0.
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