Funchal 2026: Hungary and Netherlands to battle for gold after sensational semi-final victories

Hungary were the first team to book their place in Thursday’s gold-medal game after needing penalties to get past a resilient Greece. The Magyars’ defence did a tremendous job, keeping the Greeks to just eight goals and completely shutting down their top scorer, Vasiliki Plevritou. Hungary were never behind, but the Greeks kept chasing them down, with Eleftheria Plevritou scoring with just 39 seconds remaining to send the game to penalties. In the shootout, keeper Szonja Golopencza was Hungary’s hero, saving shots from Christina Siouti and Maria Myriokefalitaki to earn them a ticket to their first European Championships final since Belgrade 2016. Later, the title-holders Netherlands ended Italy’s hopes with a dominant defensive display, giving them a chance to lift the trophy for a second successive time. Earlier, in the 5th-8th semi-finals, Croatia upset Israel to guarantee them their best-ever finish at a European Championships, while Spain totally outclassed France.

Women’s 2026 European Water Polo Championships – Funchal
Day 9, Tuesday 3 February

1st-4th
Semi-finals

Greece 8-8 (3-4P) Hungary
Netherlands 8-4 Italy

5th-8th
Semi-finals

Croatia 16-11 Israel
Spain 15-4 France

1st-4th
Semi-finals

Greece 8-8 (3-4P) Hungary
(1-3, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2, 3-4P)

The first semi-final was a re-match of last year’s World Cup and World Championships finals, with the Greeks winning both of those in convincing style, but in Funchal, it was the Hungarians who were celebrating at the end after edging a thrilling penalty shootout.

It could be considered a deserved victory, as Hungary were never behind in the game, but the Greeks will feel unfortunate after fighting back to level the scores twice in the last quarter.

The opening five minutes were a real defensive battle, with each team struggling to create clear shooting opportunities and both sides committing turnover fouls.

It was the Magyars who came closest to breaking the deadlock, but Ioanna Stamatopoulou got a strong hand to shots from Kamilla Farago and Natasa Rybanska.

With 2:26 left in the first, Hungary’s Dalma Domsodi overpowered her marker in the centre to earn a penalty, and captain Rita Keszthelyi buried it.

Panna Tiba then doubled their advantage with a stunning 6m shot that skipped off the water and just evaded Stamatopoulou’s grasp.

Eirini Ninou replied to get the Greeks off the mark with a powerful shot from the left wing, but it needed a VAR review to prove Boglarka Neszmely had failed to stop the ball from crossing the line.

Krisztina Garda’s action shot restored Hungary’s two-goal advantage, and she had a great chance to make it three, but Stamatopoulou blocked her penalty just before the first break.

At the start of the second period, Greece’s leading scorer in Funchal – Vasiliki Plevritou – looked to bring her side closer, but her penalty was also saved, with Neszmely diving to her right for a fine stop.

Minutes later, the gap was cut to one, as Christina Siouti rifled in from the left wing for 2-3, but Nora Sumegi struck back immediately to reset the two-goal lead.

Greece – the overall top scorers before this clash with 111 goals (averaging 22.2 per game) – were having real problems finding a way past the stubborn and well-organised Hungarian defence.

The posts also denied them three times before Eleni Xenaki hammered in on extra to set the half-time score at 3-4.

Early in the third, Garda arrowed in another goal, finishing off a fine counter-attack with a powerful shot that flew into the left corner of the goal.

Greece were then awarded a penalty, but a challenge by Hungary coach Sandor Cseh was successful and Rybanska was excluded instead.

This proved no problem for the Greeks, though, as Maria Myriokefalitaki fired in, then Eleftheria Plevritou’s action shot levelled the scores at 5-5 with 5:52 on the clock.

Dora Leimeter nudged the Magyars back in front after finishing off a swift counter, but they couldn’t find another, which set up a nervy final eight minutes.

At the start of the fourth, Greece earned a penalty, giving them a glorious opportunity to level, but Eleftheria Plevritou’s shot slammed against the post.

With 2:49 remaining, Eleni Xenaki did find an equaliser, flashing in a fierce shot from the right wing for 6-6.

As much as they had tried throughout the game, Greece could never take the lead, though, and Farago instantly restored the Magyars’ advantage, whipping in a shot from the perimeter that left Stamatopoulou no chance.

After a time-out, Keszthelyi powered in a six-on-five shot from the left wing for 6-8, but Siouti replied from the Greeks’ next possession to move back within one.

Inside the last minute, Greece forced an exclusion, and after several intricate passes around the perimeter, the ball went into Eleftheria Plevritou on the far post, who tapped in to send the game to a shootout.

With Keszthelyi seeing her opening shot saved by Stamatopoulou, Greece appeared to be heading to victory as they converted their first three attempts.

However, when Cseh switched in reserve keeper Szonja Golopencza for the last two rounds, she came up with huge saves to deny Siouti and Myriokefalitaki and win it for Hungary.

After the game, Keszthelyi was presented with the MVP award for a sensational display that helped steer her team to their first final since Belgrade 2016.

1st-4th
Semi-finals

Netherlands 8-4 Italy
(4-1, 1-1, 1-1, 2-1)

With every game in Funchal, the Netherlands have increasingly looked like the team that roared to victory in Eindhoven two years ago.

That upward trajectory continued with their clash against Italy, as the reigning champions surged into a 3-0 lead inside the opening three minutes.

The Dutch converted their first two six-on-fives – through Fleurien Bosveld and Christina Hicks – and Nina Ten Broek struck in between those neat finishes to put the title-holders in the driving seat.

Italy looked a little rocked and short of ideas, but Chiara Ranalli pulled one back from their first extra to open their account.

The Netherlands kept surging forward, with the Italians able to withstand the pressure for three more minutes before Kitty Lynn Joustra blasted in a 6m goal to set the score at 4-1 by the first break.

Carlo Silipo made a few tweaks to his defence for the second quarter, and they successfully managed to slow down the Dutch attack, but Lola Moolhuijzen did convert a penalty to open up a four-goal gap.

Laura Aarts was also being tested a little more, as she had to work hard to keep out efforts from Dafne Bettini and Lucrezia Cergol.

With 2:18 remaining in the half, Carlotta Meggiato restored some hope for the Italians by cutting the gap to three with a fine finish on extra.

In the third, both defences continued to step up, but after five minutes of end-to-end battling, Bettini finally found some space on the perimeter and sent a delicate lob into the far corner for 5-3.

The Dutch quickly earned another extra, and Hicks made no mistake from the right wing, arrowing her shot in to regain their three-goal cushion ahead of the final eight minutes (6-3).

Netherlands captain Maartje Keuning struck first in the fourth from an extra, before Bettini fired in a 6m rocket at the other end with 5:27 left to play.

Time was running out for the Italians and they were being forced to rush their shots, with Bettini’s next effort tipped onto the crossbar by Simone Van de Kraats.

With 4:03 on the clock, Joustra powered in from the centre to move the Dutch four clear and within touching distance of a second successive final.

From there, the Italians were unable to mount any sort of response, with the strong Netherlands defence holding firm and comfortably closing out the game.

After the match, Joustra was presented with the MVP award after another powerful performance in Funchal.

5th-8th
Semi-finals

Croatia 16-11 Israel
(5-4, 3-2, 4-3, 4-2)

It was exactly a week since Israel won a game in Funchal, when they beat Great Britain in what many considered a final to decide which of those two teams would progress to the top eight.

Since then, their coach Anastasios Salachas had questioned his players’ mentality, calling for them to refocus ahead of their next set of important games, the 5th-8th semi-finals, but their slow start against a relentless Croatia left him shaking his head in disbelief on the poolside.

The determined Croats ripped through the Israeli defence in the opening minutes, scoring three without reply, before they finally started to display their expected intensity levels and roared back with four goals to edge ahead.

Croatia had built some real belief, though, and immediately struck back – through Magdalena Butic and Alka Lulic – to go 5-4 up at the first break.

In the second period, Israel’s struggles continued, as they weren’t able to level, and the Croatians built a two-goal gap by half-time (8-6).

At the start of the third, Noa Markovsky fired in from the perimeter to bring Israel within one, but every time they scored, Croatia kept replying, and it was 10-8 midway through the quarter.

When Iva Rozic made it 12-9 with 1:05 on the clock, Salachas hooked his goalkeeper, Roni Kakuzin (who was 3/15 at this point), sending in Inbar Geva, hoping the switch would make a difference in the final minutes, but it didn’t.

Israel just weren’t able to match Croatia’s fight, and they fell further behind after going for broke and playing seven on six in the closing stages.

In the end, it was a historic win for the Croats, who executed their gameplan perfectly, as it guarantees them a place in the top six – their highest-ever finish at a European Championships, beating their previous best of eighth in 2010, 2022 and 2024.

5th-8th
Semi-finals

Spain 15-4 France
(6-1, 4-1, 3-1, 2-1)

After beating the Netherlands in a shootout, but not doing enough to reach the last four, the Spanish put some of their disappointment behind them by demolishing France in their 5th-8th semi-final.

A 6-1 opening quarter set the tone, with Bea Ortiz leading by example once again (she hit seven of the 13 goals they scored against the Dutch), as the Spanish captain fired in a hat-trick by the first break.

Ortiz added another at the start of the second quarter, flashing in a shot from the right wing, as her team continued to dominate, and they were eight clear by half-time (10-2).

The French defence stepped up in the final two quarters, only conceding five more, but in attack, they rarely troubled Spanish goalkeeper Mariona Terre, who finished with figures of 7/9 after replacing her sister between the posts at half-time.

This was the seventh consecutive time these two sides had met at a European Championships, with the Spanish comfortably maintaining their 100% record.

2026: 15-4, 2024: 17-8, 2022: 16-4, 2020: 15-6, 2018: 14-5, 2016: 21-2, 2014: 18-4.

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Andy Rollé for European Aquatics

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