Greece joined Serbia in the semifinals of the 2026 European Men’s Water Polo Championships after defeating Italy 15–13 in the most anticipated match of Day 10 in Belgrade.
Maintaining their perfect record, Greece became the only unbeaten team at the tournament, securing not only a place in the semifinals but also first place in Group F.
The Greeks controlled the match from start to finish. They took an early 2–0 lead and never allowed Italy to equalize. In the second half, the margin never dropped below two goals.
Italy will now compete for second place in the group and the remaining semifinal berth when they face Croatia, which cruised to victory earlier in the day.
Meanwhile, Romania defeated Georgia and secured a place in the 7th-place match as the fourth-placed team in Group F.
2026 European Men’s Water Polo Championships – Belgrade
Day 10 | Group F | Round 2
Greece 15 – 13 Italy
(2:1, 4:3, 4:3, 5:6)
Greece scorers:
Argyropoulos 4, Kakaris 3, Chalyvopoulos 2, Papanastasiou 2, Gkillas 2, Kalogeropoulos 1, Skoumpakis 1
Italy scorers:
Iocchi Gratta 5, Bruni 2, Ferrero 2, Bazarini 2, Di Somma 1, Dolce 1
Match report
Greece entered the match without their captain Konstantinos Gkiovetsis, suspended after receiving a red card in the previous game against Croatia. Nevertheless, their center-forwards delivered an outstanding performance.
Konstantinos Kakaris and Nikolaidis, supported by the versatile Stylianos Argyropoulos, consistently forced exclusions. Greece converted eight man-up situations and added three penalty goals, underlining their attacking efficiency.
Defensively, Greece were equally impressive. Italy were rarely able to establish close-range threats and were forced into outside shooting. In the first half alone, Greece committed just three personal fouls, while Italy accumulated 10 exclusions.
By midway through the opening period, Greece led 2–0, with Italy scoring only in the final second of the quarter through a counterattack finished by Iocchi Gratta. Italy reduced the deficit to 2–3 early in the second period after Marco Del Lungo saved a penalty shot from Gkiouvetsis.
The teams exchanged goals until halftime, with Italy twice closing to a single goal (3–4, 4–5). However, following a VAR review initiated by the Greek bench, a penalty was awarded in the final second of the half. Argyropoulos converted to give Greece a 6–4 lead.
Early in the third quarter, Kakaris extended the margin to 7–4, and Gkillas made it 9–5 by the 20th minute. Italy finally began forcing exclusions and capitalized with extra-player goals. Vincenzo Dolce scored with 45 seconds remaining in the third period to cut the gap to 7–9, but Chalyvopoulos responded immediately to restore a three-goal cushion (10–7).
Midway through the fourth period, Greece surged ahead 13–8, their largest lead of the match. Italy continued to fight, with Bruni reducing the deficit to 12–14 with 1:48 remaining. Moments later, Argyropoulos converted a double-man advantage, effectively sealing the outcome. A late goal from Iocchi Gratta completed his five-goal night but had no impact on the final result.
Other Group F results
Croatia 22 – 9 Turkiye
(6:1, 5:2, 6:4, 5:2)
Croatia confirmed expectations with a dominant performance. After racing to a 3–0 lead, they went on a 6–0 run to build a commanding 9–1 advantage early in the second period. The Croats eased off in the second half, conserving energy ahead of their decisive clash with Italy.
Georgia 10 – 15 Romania
(2:2, 4:4, 1:2, 3:7)
Georgia stayed in contention for more than three quarters, but Romania’s tightened defense after halftime proved decisive. A 4–0 run turned the game from 6–7 into 10–7, with Fulea, Neamtu, and Georgescu dominating offensively.
Group F standings
- Greece – 12 pts
- Croatia – 9 pts
- Italy – 9 pts
- Romania – 6 pts
- Georgia – 0 pts
- Turkiye – 0 pts
What’s next
Attention now turns to Group E, where Spain and Hungary meet in a do-or-die clash on Day 11 (18:00). The winner will remain in the medal race, while the loser will contest the 5th-place matches.
Already-qualified Serbia face Montenegro later in the evening (20:30), needing just one point to mathematically secure first place, while Netherlands vs France will determine fifth place in the group (15:30).
If you want:
- a short FB / IG caption,
- a Greece semifinal outlook, or
- a Spain vs Hungary preview,
just say 👍
remove quotes, just report, better title
Greece outclass Italy to secure semifinal place in Belgrade
January 19, 2026
Greece booked their place in the semifinals of the 2026 European Men’s Water Polo Championships with a 15–13 victory over Italy in the standout match of Day 10 in Belgrade.
The win keeps Greece perfect at the tournament, making them the only unbeaten side and confirming first place in Group F. Italy will now fight for the remaining semifinal berth against Croatia, who recorded a routine win earlier in the day.
Greece controlled proceedings throughout. They opened with a 2–0 lead and never allowed Italy to draw level. In the second half, the margin remained at two goals or more.
2026 European Men’s Water Polo Championships – Belgrade
Day 10 | Group F | Round 2
Greece 15 – 13 Italy
(2:1, 4:3, 4:3, 5:6)
Greece scorers:
Argyropoulos 4, Kakaris 3, Chalyvopoulos 2, Papanastasiou 2, Gkillas 2, Kalogeropoulos 1, Skoumpakis 1
Italy scorers:
Iocchi Gratta 5, Bruni 2, Ferrero 2, Bazarini 2, Di Somma 1, Dolce 1
Match report
Greece were without captain Konstantinos Gkiovetsis, suspended following a red card in the previous match against Croatia, but their centre-forwards delivered an authoritative performance. Konstantinos Kakaris and Nikolaidis, supported by Stylianos Argyropoulos, consistently drew exclusions and kept Italy under pressure.
Greece converted eight man-up situations and added three penalty goals, underlining their attacking efficiency. Defensively, they limited Italy’s close-range opportunities, forcing the Italians into long-range attempts. In the first half alone, Greece committed just three personal fouls, while Italy accumulated 10 exclusions.
By midway through the opening quarter, Greece led 2–0, with Italy scoring only in the final second through a counterattack finished by Iocchi Gratta. Early in the second period, Italy reduced the gap to 2–3 after Marco Del Lungo saved a penalty shot from Gkiouvetsis.
The teams traded goals through the remainder of the half. Italy twice closed to within one goal (3–4 and 4–5), but a VAR review at the end of the second period resulted in a penalty for Greece, converted by Argyropoulos to give the Greeks a 6–4 halftime lead.
Early in the third quarter, Kakaris made it 7–4, and Gkillas extended the margin to 9–5 by the 20th minute. Italy began to generate more exclusions and capitalized with extra-player goals, with Vincenzo Dolce scoring late in the period to narrow the score to 7–9. Greece responded immediately through Chalyvopoulos, restoring a three-goal cushion at 10–7.
Midway through the final quarter, Greece pulled clear at 13–8, their largest lead of the match. Italy continued to push back, with Bruni cutting the deficit to 12–14 with 1:48 remaining. Moments later, Argyropoulos converted a double-man advantage to effectively seal the outcome. Iocchi Gratta added a late fifth goal, but the result was no longer in doubt.
Other Group F results
Croatia 22 – 9 Turkiye
(6:1, 5:2, 6:4, 5:2)
Croatia produced a dominant display, racing to a 3–0 start and following it with a 6–0 run to establish a 9–1 lead early in the second quarter. The Croats eased off after halftime, conserving energy ahead of their decisive clash with Italy.
Georgia 10 – 15 Romania
(2:2, 4:4, 1:2, 3:7)
Georgia remained in contention for over three quarters, but Romania’s defensive tightening after halftime proved decisive. A 4–0 run turned the game from 6–7 to 10–7, with Fulea, Neamtu, and Georgescu leading the scoring.
Group F standings
- Greece – 12 pts
- Croatia – 9 pts
- Italy – 9 pts
- Romania – 6 pts
- Georgia – 0 pts
- Turkiye – 0 pts
What’s next
The focus now shifts to Group E, where Spain and Hungary meet in a decisive clash on Day 11 (18:00). The winner remains in the medal race, while the loser moves into the classification matches.
Already-qualified Serbia face Montenegro later in the evening (20:30), while Netherlands vs France (15:30) will determine fifth place in their group.
European Championships 2026 Homepage
Visit the WP360 Shop!
Follow Waterpolo 360 on Facebook, Instagram and X