The 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Champions League was the 38th edition of European Aquatics's premier competition for women's water polo clubs, and the 4th edition since being rebranded from the Euro League to the Champions League. The season began on 26 September 2025 and ended on 12 June 2026 with the Final Four.
This was the third straight season under the new format, however, this season will witness a change in slot allocation, with only the top four teams allowed to play from the major leagues.
The winners of the European Aquatics Champions League automatically qualified for next season's edition (if they choose to enter) and also qualified for the 2026 Super Cup.
The defending champions were CN Sant Andreu.
Format Qualification round Twelve teams participated in the qualification round in September 2025. The third and fourth teams from national leagues ranked 1–4, champions and runners up of the national leagues ranked 5–6 and champions from national leagues ranked 7 and below took part (if they choose to enter). The teams are divided into four separate groups, held in centralised venues. After round robin play, the top two teams in each group progressed to the group stage.
Group stage Sixteen teams played in the group stage which was held between October 2025 to March 2026. The participants were distributed into four groups of four. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualified for the quarter-finals.
Quarter-finals The eight advancing teams from the previous round were present and were split into four home and away knockout ties. The round was organised in May 2026. The four aggregate winners qualified for the Final Four.
Final Four In June 2026, the four remaining clubs traveled to a centralised venue to try and obtain the Champions League trophy. Two semifinals, a third place game and final took place to decide the champions.Competition regulations
Rankings The results were based on the results of the past four seasons.
Associations 1–4 can have four teams ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th qualify. Associations 5–6 each have two teams ranked 1st and 2nd qualify.
RankAssociationPointsTeams1 Spain146,06542 Greece127,3603 Hungary91,557.54 Italy80,282.55 Netherlands30,96516 France29,76027 Germany12,87018 Turkey11,29509 Croatia8,43010 Portugal6,940
RankAssociationPointsTeams11 Serbia6,280012 Malta5,70013 Israel5,21514 Great Britain4,93015 Czech Republic1,83016 Slovakia1,71517 Romania1,61018 Sweden1,06019 Bulgaria770
Ranking facts Biggest riseTeam1 Turkey138 +52 Czech Republic1915 +43 Israel1613 +3 Biggest fallTeam1 Malta1012 –2 Slovakia14162 France67 –1 Portugal910 Sweden1718 Bulgaria1819 New entries Romania Leaving entries Russia
Teams Starting this season, only the top four teams from national leagues ranked 1–4 and the top two teams from national leagues ranked 5–6 are permitted to enter.
The Champions League and, for the first time, Euro Cup winners are granted a place in the Champions League group stage and qualification round respectively (however, both spots was not used as both clubs in question qualified via winning their domestic league).
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. Qualified teams The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: CL: Champions League title holders EC: Euro Cup title holders 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th,: League positions of the previous season
Entry roundTeamsGroup stage Astralpool CN Sabadell (1st) CN Sant Andreu CL (2nd) NO Vouliagmeni (1st) Olympiacos SF Piraeus (2nd) FTC Telekom (1st) UVSE Helia-D (2nd) Ekipe Orizzonte (1st) SIS Roma (2nd)Qualification round CN Terrassa (3rd) Assolim CN Mataró (4th) Alimos NAS Betsson (3rd) ANO Glyfada iRepair (4th) ONE Eger (3rd) DFVE Vizilabda (4th) Rapallo Pallanuoto (3rd) Pallanuoto Trieste (4th) ZV De Zaan EC (2nd) Lille UC (1st) Grand Nancy AC (2nd) Spandau 04 (1st)
Name changes The following teams' names were changed during the season. Original nameNew name ANO Glyfada ANO Glyfada iRepair Qualification round
Round and draw dates Schedule Phase Round Draw date Round date Qualification round All rounds 28 July 2025 26–28 September 2025 Group stage Matchday 1 25 October 2025 Matchday 2 8 November 2025 Matchday 3 29 November 2025 Matchday 4 13 December 2025 Matchday 5 21 February 2026 Matchday 6 21 March 2026Quarterfinals First leg 23 March 2026 6 May 2026 Second leg 16 May 2026Final Four Semifinals 10 June 2026 Final 12 June 2026
Qualification round
The group winners and runners-up qualify for the group stage, while everyone else drops down to the Euro Cup group stage. The draw was on 28 July 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia. The seeding is based on the club rankings.
Group A 26–28 September 2025, Athens, Greece.
Group B 26–28 September 2025, Berlin, Germany.
Group C 26–28 September 2025, Dunaújváros, Hungary.
Group D 26–28 September 2025, Dunaújváros, Hungary.
Group stage
The draw took place on 28 July 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia. The top two advance to the Quarterfinals.
Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 2 points for a penalty shootout win, 1 point for a penalty shootout loss, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:
Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; Goal difference in all group matches; Goals scored in all group matches.
Six countries are being represented, one more than the previous edition. A German team qualified for the first time. Rapallo Pallanuoto, Spandau 04 and ZV De Zaan will make their debut. Hungary and Spain boast the most clubs with four.
Group A
Group B
Group C
Group D
Quarterfinals
Draw The draw took place in Zagreb on 23 March 2025.https://europeanaquatics.org/champions-league-women-quarterfinal-and-semifinal-draw-live-streaming-details/ The seeded and unseeded clubs consist of the teams that finished first and second in the previous round respectively. The only restriction was that clubs from the same group in the group stage could not be drawn against each other.
Seeded Unseeded Olympiacos SF Piraeus Assolim CN Mataró FTC Telekom CN Sant Andreu UVSE Helia-D Astralpool CN Sabadell NO Vouliagmeni SIS Roma
Bracket
Final Four
On 17 November 2025, European Aquatics announced that Valletta, Malta, will host the women's Final Four in conjunction with the men's one.https://europeanaquatics.org/2026-champions-league-men-and-women-final-fours-to-be-held-together/ The tournament was held on the 10–12 June 2025 at the National Pool Complex in Valletta, Malta.
Bracket
Third place match
Final
Notes
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 Euro Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Conference Cup 2025–26 European Aquatics Women's Challenger Cup 2025 European Aquatics Women's Super Cup
References
External links
Official website Official statistics of the tournament