Following the Trebinje preparation tournament, Hungary head coach Zsolt Varga has named the 15 players who will represent Hungary at the 2026 Men’s European Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, which begin on January 10.
The squad includes 11 players who won silver at the 2025 World Championships in Singapore, underlining continuity at the core of the team. They are joined by goalkeeper Soma Vogel, who missed last summer’s World Championships, as well as former U20 world champions Dávid Tátrai and Vince Varga, both of whom were also part of Hungary’s U25 side that finished fourth at the European Championships in Zagreb in January 2024.
Centre-forward Benedek Batizi will travel to his first senior European Championship, marking another milestone in Hungary’s gradual integration of younger talent.
Missing from the World Championship squad are goalkeeper Márton Mizsei, veteran Márton Vámos, who is currently prioritising recovery, the injured Erik Molnár, and Gergely Burián, who was left out following the final roster cut.
“One of the toughest selections I’ve had to make”
Explaining his decision, Varga emphasised the complexity of the selection process.
“It was a difficult decision, perhaps one of the hardest,” the head coach said. “I had to take many factors into account — team structure, tactical elements, defensive options. I also consulted the entire staff, not only the coaches, as there were medical considerations as well. In the end, we agreed that there is no unacceptable risk with any of the selected players.”
Intensive preparation shows progress
Hungary arrive in Belgrade after a demanding preparation period. December began with a training camp in Paris, followed by joint sessions with Croatia and Italy. After Christmas, the team competed at a tournament in Rotterdam, before playing three further matches in Trebinje at the start of the new year, where Hungary finished second.
While a last-second defeat to Italy in Trebinje proved frustrating, the coaching staff took encouragement from the team’s defensive progress. Hungary conceded just nine, seven and ten goals against Greece, France and Italy respectively — a significant improvement compared to late December, when they allowed 15 goals even in a win over Turkey.
“There was a big leap between the two tournaments,” Varga noted. “Mentally, the team has reached the level I was hoping for. Everyone understands what must function defensively, and from that base we can build effective attacks. There’s been a clear development curve — and this is the path we need to continue on at the European Championships.”
The squad return from Bosnia today, with a rest day scheduled for Wednesday. After Thursday’s training session, the team will travel by bus to Belgrade.
Hungary will face France on Saturday, Montenegro on Tuesday, and Malta on Thursday in the group stage.
Under the competition’s new format, three teams from each group advance, carrying their head-to-head results into the next phase. Hungary’s group will cross over with the group containing Serbia and Spain, with only the top two teams ultimately progressing to the semifinals — meaning there will be no quarterfinals and little margin for error.
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