The draw for the 2026/27 men’s Champions League group stage has been completed in Zagreb, producing several heavyweight groups as Europe’s top 16 clubs prepare for the start of the main competition.
Defending champions Barceloneta face a particularly demanding route through Group C, where they have been drawn alongside Croatian giants Mladost and Jadran Split, as well as Serbian powerhouse Novi Beograd.
Barceloneta head into the new campaign looking to defend the European crown they won last season, but their group promises few straightforward nights. Novi Beograd have reached three Champions League finals in recent years, while Mladost and Jadran Split provide two difficult Croatian tests.
The draw also guarantees Croatian clashes between Mladost and Jadran during the opening stage.
Elsewhere, Group B brings together Pro Recco and Brescia in an all-Italian battle. They are joined by Serbian champions Radnicki and Romanian side Oradea, who came through the qualification round over the weekend.
Recco were one of the four teams seeded in Pot 1 after reaching last season’s Final Four, alongside Barceloneta, Ferencvaros and Olympiacos.
Group D also stands out, with Ferencvaros joined by Marseille, Panathinaikos and Steaua.
Ferencvaros remain one of the leading forces in European water polo, while Marseille arrive as the reigning Euro Cup winners. Panathinaikos, meanwhile, will make their first appearance at this stage of the Champions League after securing qualification and have assembled a squad capable of providing another serious challenge.
Steaua complete a group featuring clubs from Hungary, France, Greece and Romania.
Olympiacos headline Group A, where the Greek side will face Waspo Hannover, Jadran Herceg Novi and Sabadell. The Spaniards secured one of the final places in the competition through the qualification round.
Champions League 2026/27 Group Stage
Group A
Waspo Hannover
Jadran Herceg Novi
Olympiacos
Sabadell
Group B
Oradea
Brescia
Radnicki
Pro Recco
Group C
Barceloneta
Mladost
Novi Beograd
Jadran Split
Group D
Marseille
Ferencvaros
Panathinaikos
Steaua
The four participants in the 2026 Final Four — Barceloneta, Pro Recco, Ferencvaros and Olympiacos — were placed in Pot 1.
Marseille, Mladost, Radnicki and Waspo Hannover made up Pot 2, while Jadran Herceg Novi, Steaua, Novi Beograd and Brescia were placed in Pot 3.
Panathinaikos, Oradea, Sabadell and Jadran Split completed the draw from Pot 4.
The Champions League group stage gets underway on October 6–7, with six rounds to be played before the opening phase concludes on December 15–16.
The top two teams from each group will progress to the quarter-final stage. The eight clubs finishing outside the qualification places will drop into the Euro Cup eighth-finals.
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