Malta secured 13th place at the 2026 European Men’s Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, closing the tournament with a dramatic 14:13 victory over Slovenia in the final round of the 13th–16th place classification group.
The win saw the Maltese collect a perfect nine points from three matches in the classification round, confirming their highest-ever finish at a European Championship and improving on their 14th-place result from Split in 2022.
In the other match of the day, Slovakia defeated Israel 11:8, ending the tournament as the only previously winless side. That victory lifted Slovakia into 14th place, with Slovenia finishing 15th and Israel 16th.
Malta edge thriller against Slovenia
13th–16th place classification, Round 3
Malta 14 – Slovenia 13
(Quarters: 3:4, 5:4, 3:3, 3:2)
Malta scorers: Nagaev 5, Galea 4, Camilleri 3, M. Zammit 1, Fenech 1
Slovenia scorers: Potočnik 4, Stefanović 3, Lipnik 2, Stromajer 2, Kadivec 1
Malta started confidently, opening a 3:1 lead, but Slovenia responded with three straight goals to turn the score around by the end of the first quarter. The second period was evenly contested, with the lead changing hands several times before the teams went into halftime level at 8:8.
Led by Ivan Nagaev, Malta repeatedly edged in front during the third quarter, only for Slovenia to respond each time. Nagaev’s goal for 12:11 proved crucial, as Slovenia began to rush its attacks, leaving space for Maltese counterattacks.
After a fine save from Slovenian goalkeeper Milan Bulajić denied Matthew Galea, Malta struck again just 30 seconds later, with Galea finishing the next counter to make it 13:11 — the first two-goal cushion since the early stages of the match.
Slovenia refused to go away, pulling back to 12:13 and then 13:14, and earning a man-up opportunity in the final possession. However, goalkeeper Jake Tanti held his nerve, catching Stromajer’s close-range lob to secure all three points for Malta.
Although Malta narrowly missed out on a place in the Top 12, the result confirmed a historic best finish for the nation at a European Championship.
Camilleri among tournament’s top scorers
Malta’s leading scorer throughout the tournament was Steven Camilleri, who finished with 22 goals. Camilleri previously topped the scoring charts at the 2016 European Championships, also held in Belgrade, where he scored 21 goals in Malta’s debut appearance. He currently leads the scoring list in 2026, though that position is expected to change as the latter stages of the tournament continue.
Slovakia claim consolation win
Slovakia 11 – Israel 8
(Quarters: 3:2, 3:1, 3:2, 2:3)
Slovakia scorers: Baláž 4, Furman 2, Ďurik 1, Maroš Tkáč 1, Marek Tkáč 1, Bielik 1, Caraj 1
Israel scorers: Schlein 2, Gros 2, Gvishi 2, Shafrir 1, Rendler 1
The final match of the group was more controlled, as Slovakia dictated the tempo from the opening swim-off. Israel managed to level only once, at 2:2 in the sixth minute, before Slovakia produced a decisive 4:1 run to take a 6:3 halftime lead.
Israel attempted to mount a comeback, but Slovakia’s defensive structure held firm, supported by an excellent display from goalkeeper Filip Balogh, who recorded 16 saves. Samuel Baláž’s fourth goal, making it 10:5 with under seven minutes remaining, effectively ended the contest.
The victory secured Slovakia 14th place, adding to the single point they had earned earlier in the group via a shootout loss to Slovenia.
Final standings (13th–16th)
- Malta – 9 pts
- Slovakia – 4 pts
- Slovenia – 3 pts
- Israel – 2 pts
European Championships 2026 Homepage
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