Georgia will host the 2027 Men’s European Water Polo Championships Division I from 13 to 20 June, with 16 national teams competing for places at the 2028 Elite European Championships.
The tournament forms part of European Aquatics’ new qualification system, offering nations outside the continent’s top eight another opportunity to reach the highest level of European competition.
The announcement provides further details of Georgia’s growing role in international water polo, following confirmation last week of a hosting agreement between European Aquatics and the Georgian Aquatic Sports National Federation.
Four nations already qualified
France, Georgia, the Netherlands and Turkiye have already secured their places in the June tournament, having finished between ninth and 12th at the 2026 European Championships in Belgrade.
A further 18 nations will compete for the remaining 12 places through a qualification phase featuring three groups of six teams.
Malta, Slovakia, Slovenia, Israel, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Czechia, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine are all listed among the participating nations.
The top four teams from each qualifying group will advance to Georgia, completing the 16-team Division I field.
The competition will help determine which nations join the eight teams that qualified directly for the 2028 Elite European Championships through their performances in Belgrade.
The draw for the Division I qualification groups will take place on 3 November 2026 at 10:30 CET, with proceedings broadcast live on the official European Aquatics YouTube channel.
Georgia’s growing influence in European water polo
The decision to award Georgia hosting rights follows a significant period of development for the country’s water polo programme.
Earlier this month, the Georgian coastal city of Batumi staged the inaugural Black Sea International Cup, attracting several of Europe’s leading clubs for a tournament offering $150,000 in prize money.
Meanwhile, Tbilisi hosted a qualification group for the 2026/27 Men’s Conference Cup, further strengthening Georgia’s presence on the European club calendar.
Georgia’s national team has also enjoyed notable success in 2026.
In April, the Georgian men finished runners-up at the World Aquatics World Cup Division II tournament in Malta, narrowly losing 19-17 to Montenegro in the final.
Their performances earned them qualification for the World Cup Final in Sydney in July, where they competed against some of the world’s strongest national teams.
Hosting the 2027 Division I tournament represents another significant opportunity for Georgia to build on that progress, both competitively and organisationally.
The host nation for the Women’s Division I tournament, also scheduled for June 2027, has yet to be announced.
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