Turkish side Galatasaray have won the fourth edition of the Men’s Challenger Cup, defeating Lithuania’s EVK Zaibas 13–11 in the final of the Final Eight tournament held in Istanbul.
The victory marks Galatasaray’s second Challenger Cup title, adding to the trophy they lifted two seasons ago. EVK Zaibas finished with the silver medal for the second consecutive year, having also reached the final in 2025, when they were beaten by Dutch side GZC Donk.
In the bronze-medal match, Sliema (Malta) defeated Enka (Türkiye) 17–15 to claim third place. The final standings were completed by San Giljan (Malta) in fifth, Branik Maribor (Slovenia) in sixth, Vitoria (Portugal) in seventh and Heybeliada (Türkiye) in eighth.
Group stage
The Final Eight began with two groups of four teams.
In Group A, EVK Zaibas finished top with three wins and nine points, ahead of Enka, Branik Maribor and Vitoria.
Group A results
- Enka – Vitoria 17:9
- Branik Maribor – EVK Zaibas 9:15
- Enka – EVK Zaibas 11:16
- Vitoria – Branik 16:18
- Enka – Branik 21:13
- EVK Zaibas – Vitoria 16:14
Standings:
- EVK Zaibas – 9
- Enka – 6
- Branik – 3
- Vitoria – 0
In Group B, Galatasaray dominated their group with three victories. A key match for first place came against Sliema, where the Turkish hosts recorded an emphatic 23–5 victory.
Group B results
- Sliema – San Giljan 16:15
- Galatasaray – Heybeliada 18:7
- Sliema – Heybeliada 25:11
- San Giljan – Galatasaray 13:14
- Sliema – Galatasaray 5:23
- Heybeliada – San Giljan 16:22
Standings:
- Galatasaray – 9
- Sliema – 6
- San Giljan – 3
- Heybeliada – 0
Semifinals
Galatasaray comfortably secured their place in the final by beating city rivals Enka 20–9 in the Istanbul derby.
The other semifinal between EVK Zaibas and Sliema had a unique storyline. Montenegrin legend Aleksandar Ivović came out of retirement to help Sliema in the Challenger Cup, while his older brother Blagoje Ivović is the head coach of EVK Zaibas. After a dramatic 32 minutes the teams were tied 13–13, before EVK Zaibas held their nerve to win 18–16 in a penalty shootout.
Semifinals
- EVK Zaibas – Sliema 18:16 (PSO)
- Galatasaray – Enka 20:9
Galatasaray turn the final around
EVK Zaibas started the final strongly and built an early 5–2 lead in the fifth minute. However, Galatasaray gradually fought their way back into the match.
Just seven seconds before halftime, Caner scored to give the hosts their first lead of the game (9–8).
The Lithuanian side equalised at 9–9 early in the third period, but Galatasaray responded with a decisive 3–0 run, pulling away to 12–9 and taking control of the contest. EVK Zaibas pushed hard but could not close the gap, as the Turkish side secured a 13–11 victory.
Serbian international Stefan Gak led the scoring for Galatasaray with three goals, while Marko Jelaca netted four times for EVK Zaibas.
Final
EVK Zaibas – Galatasaray 11:13
(6:5, 2:4, 1:2, 2:2)
EVK Zaibas: Jelaca 4, Jonkus 2, Vrdoljak 2, Petrovski 1, Krapic 1, Bakulo 1.
Galatasaray: Gak 3, Alpman 2, Caner 2, Acar 1, Naipoglu 1, Destici 1, Vujovic 1, Erdag 1, Kuloglu 1.
Placement matches
3rd place:
Sliema – Enka 17:15
5th place:
Branik – San Giljan 9:24
7th place:
Vitoria – Heybeliada 18:9
Challenger Cup winners
- 2023: Apollon (Greece)
- 2024: Galatasaray (Türkiye)
- 2025: GZC Donk (Netherlands)
- 2026: Galatasaray (Türkiye)
With their victory in Istanbul, Galatasaray become the first club to win the Challenger Cup twice, further strengthening their growing reputation on the European stage.
Visit the WP360 Shop!
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X