The qualifications for the 2026 European Championships concluded this evening, but the big news of the day emerged after the morning session of the final competition day.
For the first time in 76 years, Germany will miss the European Men’s Championships. The Germans were absent for the last time in 1950. Actually, Germany failed to qualify for the European Championships for the first time. In the past 99 years, the Germans missed the championships only twice, both times due to political reasons.
Almost all participating teams were confirmed yesterday, with the only remaining question being which team would qualify as the second-placed team in Group B in Istanbul.
Turkiye and Germany faced off in the decisive match for 2nd place in Istanbul. After a big battle, Turkiye won 17:16 and clinched 2nd place behind Slovakia. The Turks returned to the Europeans after a five-year absence, finishing 12th in Budapest in 2020 (the full list of qualified teams is provided at the end of the article).
Turkiye led 5:4 after the first quarter. At halftime, the hosts were still one step ahead (8:7). During a five-minute break (the qualifications have been played according to the new rules), the Germans didn’t find their rhythm. Turkiye dictated the pace in the opening minutes of the third period and went to 11:8. Germany shone in the last four minutes of the third period. It went on a 4:0 run and entered the final quarter leading 12:11.
Still, the hosts regained control in the fourth quarter. Turkiye built a 17:14 lead with 01:27 minutes left on the clock. Germany scored the last two goals in the match but couldn’t equalize.
Tough period for German water polo
The 2026 Europeans in Belgrade will be the 37th edition of the men’s continental water polo championships.
The first was held in 1926, and Germany won a bronze medal. Following that medal and before World War 2, the Germans took three silvers.
Absence only because of political reasons: Germany didn’t participate in the European Championships in 1947 and 1950, because almost all the country’s athletes were banned from participating in international competitions for several years after World War II.
West Germany did not participate in the 1962 European Championships due to political reasons, as the tournament was held in Leipzig, East Germany. Of course, the East German national team was present.
Between 1966 and 1989, West Germany was a regular participant in all European Championships. In 1989, it won its second gold medal. Shortly after, the country was reunified, and Germany participated in all European Championships from 1991 to 2024.
Two countries as rivals: Looking at the broader history, both West Germany and East Germany competed in all European Championships from 1954 to 1989, except for the, mentioned, 1962 tournament in Leipzig.
Medals: West Germany won two gold medals and one bronze, while East Germany secured one silver medal. After reunification in 1993, the unified German team managed to reach the podium once, winning bronze in 1995. Overall, German water polo teams have won a total of eight medals at the continental championships.
Last Olympic tournament in 2008: However, in recent years, the team has faced a difficult period. Germany has not qualified for the Olympic Games since 2008, and its last appearance in the World Championships was in 2022.
Great water polo coach, late Petar Porobic, who succeeded legendary German water polo player and coach, Hagen Stamm, on the bench of the national team several years ago, didn’t help Germany come close to European powerhouses.
Since December of 2022, Serbian coach Milos Sekulic has been leading Germany. With Sekulic on the bench, the Germans won 8th place in the 2023 World Cup and 7th place in the same competition this year. They finished 12th at the 2024 European Championships in Zagreb and Split.
In their first match in Istanbul, the Germans lost to Slovakia (8:13). After that, it was clear that the game against Turkiye would be a must-win game. Germany easily beat Sweden (30:3) and Finland (30:5) in the following two rounds. But, an ambitious team of Turkiye ended the Germans’ hopes of qualifying for the European Championships.
Drama in Malta
UPDATE (final day, evening session): The favorites recorded wins in the evening session in groups A, C and D and finished atop the standings.
The Netherlands beat Slovenia 19:9 in the last round of the group in Kranj. Ten goals separated the rivals in the duel between the 1st-placed and the 2nd-placed team in Group C in Tbilisi. Moreover, the final score was the same – host Georgia defeated Israel 19:9.
Malta was close to a big surprise in front of the home fans in the group in Gzira. The Maltese had a 9:6 lead in the fourth quarter of the game against France. However, the French caught up with the home team – 10:10 at the finish and the match continued in a shootout. France won 15:14 and kept 1st place, while Mala advanced to the 2026 Europeans from 2nd place in the group.
Bulgaria defeated Switzerland 14:13 in Tbilisi to finish in 3rd place in the group. This victory is very important for the Bulgarians because it is the first win for their male national team after 22 years.
2026 European Championships Qualifications, final day
Group A (Kranj, Slovenia)
Day 4: Czech Republic – Poland 10:17, Slovenia – Netherlands 9:19.
Final standings: 1. Netherlands 12, 2. Slovenia 9, 3. Great Britain 6, 4. Poland 3, 5. Czech Republic 0.
Group B (Istanbul, Turkiye)
Day 4: Slovakia – Finland 23:8, Turkiye – Germany 17:16
Final standings: 1. Slovakia 12, 2. Turkiye 9, 3. Germany 6, 4. Sweden 3, 5. Finland 0.
Group C (Tbilisi, Georgia)
Day 3: Bulgaria – Switzerland 14:13, Georgia – Israel 19:9.
Final standings: 1. Georgia 9, 2. Israel 6, 3. Bulgaria 3, 4. Switzerland 0.
Group D (Gzira, Malta)
Day 3: Ukraine – Portugal 14:13, Malta – France 14:15 – PSO (10:10)
Final standings: 1. France 8, 2. Malta 7, 3. Ukraine 3, 4. Portugal 0.
Participating teams in 2026 European Championships
Compared to the 2024 Europeans, 15 teams will compete again; the only change is that Turkiye replaces Germany.
Qualified based on the standings at the 2024 European Championships: Spain, Croatia, Italy, Hungary, Greece, Montenegro, Serbia, and Romania.
Advanced through qualifications: France, Georgia, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Malta, Israel, and Turkiye.
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