Challenger Cup Water Polo: Route to men’s and women’s finals revealed after Qualification Round II draw
The draw for the men’s and women’s Challenger Cup Qualification Round II took place in Zagreb on Monday morning, revealing the path ahead for the remaining teams as they set their sights on March’s finals.
In the men’s draw, Sliema ASC, San Giljan ASC, AVK Branik Maribor, Carouge Natation, Enka Sport Club, Heybeliada ASC, RD Mouscronnois and Cetus Espoo – who all advanced from Qualification Round I – were joined by the four teams that dropped down from the Conference Cup: Galatasaray SK, Vitoria Sport Clube, EVK Zaibas, and VK Banja Luka.
The men’s Qualification Round II (13-15 February 2026) will feature 12 clubs divided into four groups of three, with the top two teams from each pool advancing to the Challenger Cup Men’s Final Eight tournament (12-15 March 2026).
Slovenia’s AVK Branik Maribor will host Group B and Group D, while the other organising teams are Türkiye’s Galatasaray SK (Group C), and (last season’s Challenger Cup runners-up) Lithuania’s EVK Zaibas (Group A).
2025/26 Challenger Cup Men
Qualification Round II
13-15 February 2026
(*Hosts)
Group A
EVK Zaibas (LTU)*
Sliema ASC (MLT)
Cetus Espoo (FIN)
Group B
AVK Branik Maribor (SLO)*
VK Banja Luka (BIH)
San Giljan ASC (MLT)
Group C
Galatasaray SK (TUR)*
Enka Sport Club (TUR)
Carouge Natation (SUI)
Group D
(Hosts – Maribor*)
Vitoria Sport Clube (POR)
RD Mouscronnois (BEL)
Heybeliada ASC (TUR)
The six men’s teams that missed the cut in Qualification Round I – Hapoel Palram Zvulun, Apoel Nicosia, VK Ljubljana Slovan, Clube Naval Povoense, Welsh Wanderers and West London Penguin – will contest the 13th-18th classification tournament, also taking place from 13-15 February 2026, with one group of six competing in a round-robin format. This tournament will be hosted by Slovenia’s VK Ljubljana Slovan.
Following the conclusion of the women’s Qualification Round I, London Otter, SSV Esslingen, Hapoel Emek Hayarden and Nevsehir Belediye SK all progressed, and these four teams were joined in Monday’s draw by the seven sides that dropped down from the Conference Cup – Goztepe Sport Klub, Dalton Koleji Spor Kulübü, VK Jadran Split, Clube Fluvial Portuense, ZVK Crvena Zvezda, San Giljan ASC, and Sirens ASC.
The women’s Qualification Round II will be played with 11 clubs divided into one group of five and one group of six on the weekend of 5-8 March 2026.
Malta’s San Giljan ASC will host Group A, while Türkiye’s Goztepe Sport Klub are Group B’s organisers.
The two highest-ranked clubs from each group will advance to the Challenger Cup Women’s Final Four tournament (21-22 March 2026).
2025/26 Challenger Cup Women
Qualification Round II
5-8 March 2026
(*Hosts)
Group A
San Giljan ASC (MLT)*
ZVK Crvena Zvezda (SRB)
Clube Fluvial Portuense (POR)
SSV Esslingen (GER)
Hapoel Emek Hayarden (ISR)
Group B
Goztepe Sport Klub (TUR)*
Sirens ASC (MLT)
VK Jadran Split (CRO)
Dalton Koleji Spor Kulübü (TUR)
London Otter (GBR)
Nevsehir Belediye SK (TUR)
The clubs that do not qualify for the Final Four (seven clubs) plus the three teams that did not qualify for Qualification Round II (Slavia UK Bratislava WP, Asten Johnson Strakonice and ZVU Partizan) will play the Final Classification tournament for 5th-14th place (20-22 March 2026).
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For full Challenger Cup Men fixtures, results, stats and tables, click here
For full Challenger Cup Women fixtures, results, stats and tables, click here
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