FTC Telekom Waterpolo remain top of the European Aquatics men’s club ranking, with the Hungarian champions leading a list that reflects both recent European success and the longer-term consistency required to stay among the continent’s elite.

The ranking, updated to include the 2025/2026 season, places FTC first with 39,077.5 points, just ahead of Zodiac CN Atletic Barceloneta on 38,145. Pro Recco sit third with 35,250, followed by VK Novi Beograd and Olympiacos, completing a top five that still largely reflects the clubs who have shaped the Champions League era in recent seasons.

FTC’s position at the top is no surprise. The Hungarian side have been the benchmark for consistency in Europe, winning the Champions League in 2024 and defending their title in 2025. Even after missing out on a third consecutive crown in Malta this year, where they finished with bronze, their ranking shows the value of repeated deep runs, domestic dominance and sustained performances across several campaigns.

Barceloneta’s place in second now looks even stronger after their 2026 Champions League triumph. The Spanish champions defeated Pro Recco 17-16 in the final to win their second European title, twelve years after their first. Although the ranking listed here is shaped by previous seasons, Barceloneta’s latest success reinforces the sense that they are no longer just a consistent Final Four presence, but once again a genuine European champion.

Pro Recco, third, remain one of the giants of the game, but their position also tells a story of change. For so long the club by which everyone else was measured, Recco have had to rebuild their European standing after missing the Champions League and competing in the Euro Cup. They still added another piece of history by winning the 2024/25 Euro Cup, beating Radnicki Kragujevac over two legs, but their current ranking reflects a club in a slightly different phase: still powerful, still elite, but no longer alone at the top.

Novi Beograd, fourth, continue to hold a high ranking after several seasons as one of Europe’s most ambitious projects. Their points total reflects their regular presence in the latter stages of continental competition, even if the biggest trophy has repeatedly proved difficult to secure. Olympiacos, fifth, remain firmly among the elite, helped by their domestic strength in Greece and continued Champions League relevance.

One of the clearest risers is CN Marseille. The French club sit sixth, above established names such as Brescia, Jadran Split and Savona. Marseille’s position has been strengthened further by their 2026 Euro Cup success, when they survived Jadran Split’s second-leg fightback to win 33-32 on aggregate. It was their second Euro Cup title and another sign of how firmly they have moved into the upper European tier.

Jadran Split, eighth, are also well placed after reaching the Euro Cup final, while Savona’s presence in ninth underlines the strength of the Italian league beyond Recco and Brescia. CN Sabadell complete the top ten, confirming Spain’s depth behind Barceloneta.

Further down, the ranking highlights several interesting shifts. HAVK Mladost Zagreb sit 11th, a strong position for a club with huge history that has been working its way back towards the front of the European picture. CSM Oradea in 12th and Radnicki Kragujevac in 13th reflect the growing competitiveness of Romanian and Serbian club water polo outside the usual Champions League headline names.

Jug, however, are perhaps the most striking name outside the top ten. The Dubrovnik club, one of Europe’s great institutions, are ranked 14th. That is still a strong position, but for a club of Jug’s tradition, it also shows how the balance has shifted in recent years. Vasas, Szolnok and Honved also sit outside the top 15, showing that even in Hungary, European ranking points are now spread across a more competitive domestic field.

There are also reminders of former powers operating at a different level. Partizan, once one of the most famous names in European water polo, are 40th. Posillipo, another historic club, sit 47th. Their presence in the ranking is important, but their positions show how far the European club landscape has moved since their eras of dominance.

At the other end of the story, clubs from emerging or less-represented leagues continue to appear. Welsh Wanderers are 81st, West London Penguin 90th, Polytechnic 94th and City of Manchester 95th, giving British clubs a foothold in the European structure. Malta is represented by Sliema, San Giljan and Valletta, while clubs from Lithuania, Portugal, Israel, Cyprus, Slovenia and Finland show the wider reach of European club competition.

For now, FTC remain the ranking leaders. But with Barceloneta newly crowned Champions League winners, Marseille building momentum, Recco still dangerous, and several traditional powers trying to climb back, the list feels less like a fixed order and more like a snapshot of a European landscape in motion.

Full European Aquatics men’s club ranking

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