2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League

• Qualification round Ten teams will participate in the qualification round in September 2025. The runners-up from national leagues ranked 1–10 and champions of the national leagues ranked 11–12 (if they choose to enter) take part. The teams are divided into three separate groups, held in centralised venues. After round robin play, the top two teams in each group progress to the group stage. • Group stage Sixteen teams will play in the group stage which is held between October 2025 to February 2026. The champions of national leagues ranked 1–10 plus the six clubs who advanced from the qualification round will compete. The participants are distributed into four groups of four. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualifies for the quarter-finals round while the bottom two drop down to the 2025–26 European Aquatics Euro Cup knockout stage. • Quarter-finals round The eight advancing teams from the previous round are present and are split into two groups of four. The round is organised between March and May 2026. After home and away double round robin play, the top two from each group qualifies for the Final Four. • Final Four In June 2026, the four remaining clubs travel to Malta's capital, Valletta, to try and obtain the Champions League trophy. Two semifinals, a third place game and final will take place to decide the champions. ==Rankings==

The results were based on the results of the past four seasons. • Associations 1–10 can have two teams ranked 1st and 2nd qualify. • Associations 11–12 can have one team ranked 1st qualify. Ranking facts ==Teams==

Starting this season, only the champions and runners-up teams from national leagues ranked 1–10 and champions from national leagues ranked 11–12 are permitted to enter. Starting this season, champions from countries ranked below the top 12 are not permitted to enter. The Champions League and, for the first time, Euro Cup winners are granted a place in the Champions League group stage and qualification round respectively (however, both spots was not used as both clubs in question qualified via winning their domestic league). Unlike last season, in the event that a club decides not to enter, the third place team is not allowed to take their place. Qualified teams The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round: • CL: Champions League title holders • EC: Euro Cup title holders • 1st, 2nd,: League positions of the previous season Name changes The following teams' names were changed during the season. ==Round and draw dates==

Schedule ==Qualification round==

The group winners and runners-up qualify for the group stage, while everyone else drops down to the Euro Cup qualifiers. The draw was on 28 July 2025 in Zagreb, Croatia. The seeding is based on the club rankings. Group A 19–21 September 2025, Belgrade, Serbia Group B 19–21 September 2025, Sabadell, Spain Group C 19–21 September 2025, Zagreb, Croatia ==Group stage==

{{Location map+|Europe|width=610|float=right|caption=Location of teams of the 2025–26 European Aquatics Champions League group stage. Red: Group A; Blue: Group B; Yellow: Group C; Green: Group D The top two from each group make the quarter-finals round. The bottom two from each group drops down to the Euro Cup eighth-finals. Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 2 points for a penalty shootout win, 1 point for a penalty shootout loss, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings: • Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goal difference in all group matches; • Goals scored in all group matches. This season, 13 of the 16 clubs from last season are present. HAVK Mladost Zagreb comes back after six years, while Italian sides, Pro Recco and AN Brescia return after a one edition absence. Overall, a total of 10 countries are present in the group stage, down by one largely due to the restructuring of the European water polo competitions. Georgia are not present in the group stage for the first time since 2018–19. Group A Group B Group C Group D ==Quarter-finals round==

The four group winners and four group runners-up were drawn into two groups, with each one containing two group winners and two group runners-up. The top two teams in each group advanced to the Final Four. Draw The draw took place in Zagreb on 16 February. The seeded and unseeded clubs consist of the teams that finished first and second in the previous round respectively. The only restriction was that clubs from the same group in the group stage could not be drawn against each other. Teams are ranked according to points (3 points for a win, 2 points for a penalty shootout win, 1 point for a penalty shootout loss, 0 points for a loss), and if tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings: • Points in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goal difference in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goals scored in head-to-head matches among tied teams; • Goal difference in all group matches; • Goals scored in all group matches. Group A Group B ==Notes==