European Aquatics has introduced major changes to its age-group water polo competitions, aligning them with the World Aquatics Cadet and Youth Championships.
The adjustments bring a new structure and competitive format, with U16 and U18 Championships replacing the previous U15 and U17 tournaments.
The draw for the 2025 European age-group championships took place today, setting the stage for exciting matchups this summer.
The tournaments will be hosted in Romania, Türkiye, Portugal, Slovenia, and Malta, with a new men’s competition format and a two-tiered system for women’s teams.
Men’s European Age-Group Championships 2025
A significant change for the men’s competitions is the division of teams into two levels:
• Division Elite: The top 16 teams, based on previous European Championship performances, will compete in this category.
• Division 1: The remaining teams will play at this level, with an opportunity to earn promotion to Elite for the 2026/27 season.
At the end of the tournament, the top two teams in Division 1 will be promoted to Division Elite, replacing the bottom two teams from the top tier.
Each Elite Division will have two sub-divisions. The top two teams from Groups A and B will advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth-placed teams will face the top finishers from Groups C and D in a crossover round.
European U18 Men’s Championships, Elite (Oradea, Romania, August 18–24)
Sub-Division 1
• Group A: Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands.
• Group B: Serbia, Spain, Montenegro, Croatia.
Sub-Division 2
• Group C: Türkiye, France, Romania, Poland.
• Group D: Germany, Malta, Georgia, Ukraine.
European U18 Men’s Championships, Division 1 (Rio Maior, Portugal, August 18–24)
• Group A: Slovakia, Czech Republic, Moldova.
• Group B: Bulgaria, Switzerland, Ireland, Denmark.
• Group C: Israel, Great Britain, Belgium, Austria.
• Group D: Lithuania, Portugal, Finland.
European U16 Men’s Championships, Elite (Manisa, Türkiye, July 7–13)
Sub-Division 1
• Group A: Hungary, Serbia, Spain, Türkiye.
• Group B: Montenegro, Greece, Italy, Croatia.
Sub-Division 2
• Group C: Malta, Netherlands, Georgia, Moldova.
• Group D: Germany, Romania, Israel, Poland.
European U16 Men’s Championships, Division 1 (Ljubljana, Slovenia, July 7–13)
• Group A: Bulgaria, Slovenia, France, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovakia.
• Group B: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Women’s European Age-Group Championships 2025
Unlike the men’s tournament, all teams entering the Women’s U16 and U18 Championships will compete in a single division but split into two ranks:
• Division 1: The top eight teams from previous U15 and U17 tournaments.
• Division 2: The remaining teams will compete in this category.
The format mirrors that of the men’s Elite competition, where the top two teams from Groups A and B advance directly to the quarterfinals, while the third and fourth-placed teams will enter a playoff round against the best teams from Division 2.
European U18 Women’s Championships (Gzira, Malta, September 2–7)
Division 1
• Group A: Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Türkiye.
• Group B: Spain, Greece, Israel, Croatia.
Division 2
• Group C: Serbia, Malta, Ireland, Ukraine, Germany.
• Group D: Slovakia, Great Britain, Romania, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Bulgaria.
European U16 Women’s Championships (Manisa, Türkiye, June 27–July 3)
Division 1
• Group A: Spain, Hungary, Netherlands, Serbia.
• Group B: Greece, Italy, Croatia, Germany.
Division 2
• Group C: Türkiye, Czech Republic, Slovakia, France.
• Group D: Israel, Romania, Ukraine, Malta.
A New Era for European Youth Water Polo
With these changes, European Aquatics is aligning its youth competitions with the global structure, ensuring a clear pathway for development from the U16 level up to senior international competition. The new format aims to increase competitiveness, provide more opportunities for developing nations, and create a sustainable structure for future generations of water polo players.