Zodiac CNAB completed one of the most magnificent campaigns in water polo history on Saturday, June 13, 2026. The Spanish giants extended their spectacular winning streak to 34 matches to capture the Men’s Champions League trophy, ending a painful 12-year European title drought.

In a breathtaking 48-hour window, CNAB dethroned the giants of European water polo. After eliminating reigning title-holders FTC Telekom in a dramatic semifinal penalty shootout, they edged powerhouse Pro Recco 17-16 in the highest-scoring final in the history of the competition.

Gold Medal Match: Zodiac CNAB 17 – 16 Pro Recco

A Furious, High-Scoring Opening

The match exploded into action from the opening sprint. CNAB goalkeeper Unai Aguirre set the tone early with a spectacular save in the opening seconds. Boosted by their keeper’s heroics, the Spanish side raced into an early 2-0 lead. Alberto Munarriz opened the scoring with a brilliant, calculated lob, followed quickly by a powerful center-forward strike from Biel Gomila.

Pro Recco responded instantly. Mateo Iocchi Gratta converted a man-up situation to spark the Italian offense. From that point on, Recco’s sharp-shooters found their rhythm, leaving Aguirre little chance with pinpoint accuracy. The teams traded heavy blows in a blistering opening period, finishing tied at 6-6—the highest-scoring first quarter ever recorded in a Champions League final.

Recco Assumes Control

The second quarter looked set to break the game open. Recco capitalized on a loose ball during a CNAB man-up, launching a counter-attack that resulted in two goals in just 84 seconds.

By mid-quarter, the Italians had stretched their advantage to a commanding 10-7 lead. Marc Valls kept CNAB within striking distance by converting a six-on-five opportunity, but Alvaro Granados answered right back for Recco to restore the three-goal cushion at 11-8.

Refusing to back down, Barceloneta fought their way back. Quick-fire action goals from Gergo Burian and Alessandro Velotto cut the deficit to one. However, CNAB’s defense struggled heavily against Recco’s flawless power play. Francesco Cassia buried a late extra-man shot to keep Recco’s man-up stat perfect at 8-for-8. A late post finish from Roger Tahull sent the teams into the halftime break with Recco leading 12-11.

The Defensive Script Flips

The second half brought a complete shift in momentum. Just 36 seconds into the third quarter, Unai Biel slammed home a man-up goal from the wing to tie the game at 12-12.

Moments later, Aguirre came up with a massive stop against Rino Buric in the center. The save completely revitalized the Spanish side while visibly shaking Recco’s confidence. The Italian side went completely scoreless for over four minutes.

Though Recco keeper Gianmarco Nicosia blocked a Munarriz penalty, CNAB took their first lead since the opening period when Tahull scored on a beautifully worked 2-meter man-up play. Francesco Condemi finally snapped Recco’s six-minute drought, but Alejandro Bustos immediately answered, tipping in an extra-man pass to make it 14-13.

An incredible defensive stand by CNAB during a clear three-on-two disadvantage ensured the teams entered the final eight minutes deadlocked at 14-14.

Sheer Determination Secures the Title

The fourth quarter became a war of attrition. Recco began showing extreme physicality as the fatigued Barceloneta roster started losing sharpness on their shots.

Nicosia denied another CNAB penalty, but the Spanish side tracked down the crucial rebound, earned an exclusion, and saw Biel flash the ball into the net for a 15-14 lead. After Aguirre made a vital shorthanded save, Biel struck again on a six-on-four advantage to push CNAB ahead by two.

Condemi pulled one back for Recco, but with just 1:39 remaining on the clock, Burian executed a trademark finish from a near-impossible angle to restore CNAB’s two-goal cushion at 17-15.

Recco refused to die quietly. Iocchi Gratta hammered home a blistering strike to make it 17-16. With 57 seconds left, a controversial turnover foul handed Recco a power play, leading to a heated reaction and the exclusion of CNAB veteran Fran Fernandez.

With the title on the line, the Spanish defense produced one final heroic effort, forcing a dramatic steal to kill off the power play. CNAB managed the remaining 38 seconds perfectly, forcing a corner with 11 seconds left to run out the clock and ignite wild celebrations in Malta.

Bronze Medal Match: FTC Telekom 16 – 13 Olympiacos

In the evening’s prelude, FTC Telekom rebounded from their painful semifinal shootout loss to claim the bronze medal. The match served as a massive test of character for a Hungarian side that had won 10 consecutive titles under head coach Balazs Nyeki since 2023.

Olympiacos caught Fradi flat-footed early, capitalizing on lazy opening attacks to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead via an Alexandros Papanastasiou penalty and an Evangelos Pouros power-play tip.

A furious Nyeki ordered a complete line substitution. The Hungarian bench immediately flipped the game, as Zsombor Vismeg and Gergo Fekete struck within 35 seconds to level the score.

The teams traded goals in a highly competitive first half. Striking distance goals from Akos Nagy, Marton Vamos, and a buzzer-beating six-on-five rocket from Dusan Mandic with 0.8 seconds left kept FTC ahead 5-4 after one.

Though Olympiacos pushed hard behind precise shooting from Ioannis Fountoulis and Ioannis Alafragkis, FTC’s depth eventually overwhelmed the Greeks. The Hungarian side put together a clinical 7-2 scoring run across the second half, utilizing world-class shot conversion to secure a comfortable 16-13 victory and a spot on the podium.