Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
SportWater polo
Founded1973 (men)
1986 (women)
No. of teams16 (finals)
ContinentInternational (FINA)
Most recent
champion(s)		 Croatia (men, 3rd title)
 United States (women, 8th title)
Most titles Hungary and  Italy
(men; 4 titles each)
 United States (women; 8 titles)

Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships is an international water polo tournament held every two years as part of the World Aquatics Championships.[1] The reigning champions are Croatia in men's and the United States in women's competition.[2]

Events

Event 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Editions
Men's tournament X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21
Women's tournament X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 17
Total 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

Men's tournament

Results summary

Year[1] Host Gold Score Silver Bronze Score 4th place
1973
Details 		Belgrade,
Yugoslavia
Hungary 		Round-robin
(5–4)
Soviet Union
Yugoslavia 		Round-robin
(4–5)
Italy
1975
Details 		Cali,
Colombia
Soviet Union 		Round-robin
(5–4)
Hungary
Italy 		Round-robin
(4–4)
Cuba
1978
Details 		West Berlin,
West Germany
Italy 		Round-robin
(4–4)
Hungary
Yugoslavia 		Round-robin
(6–4)
Soviet Union
1982
Details 		Guayaquil,
Ecuador
Soviet Union 		Round-robin
(7–7)
Hungary
West Germany 		Round-robin
(5–3)
Netherlands
1986
Details 		Madrid,
Spain
Yugoslavia 		12–11 (4 OT)
Italy
Soviet Union 		8–6 (2 OT)
United States
1991
Details 		Perth,
Australia
Yugoslavia 		8–7
Spain
Hungary 		13–12
United States
1994
Details 		Rome,
Italy
Italy 		10–5
Spain
Russia 		14–13 (OT)
Croatia
1998
Details 		Perth,
Australia
Spain 		6–4
Hungary
Yugoslavia 		9–5
Australia
2001
Details 		Fukuoka,
Japan
Spain 		4–2
Yugoslavia
Russia 		7–6
Italy
2003
Details 		Barcelona,
Spain
Hungary 		11–9 (OT)
Italy
Serbia and Montenegro 		5–3
Greece
2005
Details 		Montreal,
Canada
Serbia and Montenegro 		8–7
Hungary
Greece 		11–10 (OT)
Croatia
2007
Details 		Melbourne,
Australia
Croatia 		9–8 (OT)
Hungary
Spain 		9–9 (OT)
(9–8 pen.)
Serbia
2009
Details 		Rome,
Italy
Serbia 		7–7 (OT)
(7–6 pen.)
Spain
Croatia 		8–6
United States
2011
Details 		Shanghai,
China
Italy 		8–7 (OT)
Serbia
Croatia 		12–11
Hungary
2013
Details 		Barcelona,
Spain
Hungary 		8–7
Montenegro
Croatia 		10–8
Italy
2015
Details 		Kazan,
Russia
Serbia 		11–4
Croatia
Greece 		7–7
(4–2 pen.)
Italy
2017
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary
Croatia 		8–6
Hungary
Serbia 		11–8
Greece
2019
Details 		Gwangju,
South Korea
Italy 		10–5
Spain
Croatia 		10–7
Hungary
2022
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary
Spain 		9–9
(6–5 pen.)
Italy
Greece 		9–7
Croatia
2023
Details 		Fukuoka,
Japan
Hungary 		10–10
(4–3 pen.)
Greece
Spain 		9–6
Serbia
2024
Details 		Doha,
Qatar
Croatia 		11–11
(4–2 pen.)
Italy
Spain 		14–10
France
2025
Details 		Kallang,
Singapore
2027
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary
2029
Details 		Beijing,
China

Confederation statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships men's water polo tournament records and statistics § Confederation statistics

Best performances by tournament

This is a summary of the best performances of each confederation in each tournament.[1]

Legend
Confederation 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024
Africa – CANA — — — 15th — 15th 15th 14th — — 15th 14th 15th 16th 15th 12th 16th 12th 12th 16th 15th
Americas – ASUA 5th 4th 5th 5th 4th 4th 6th 7th 7th 6th 11th 9th 4th 6th 9th 7th 12th 9th 6th 7th 9th
Asia – AASF — 15th — 10th — 14th 12th 11th 12th 15th 14th 13th 12th 11th 12th 11th 10th 11th 9th 11th 12th
Europe – LEN 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st
Oceania – OSA 14th 11th 9th 11th 10th 8th 10th 4th 10th 7th 10th 10th 10th 9th 8th 8th 7th 6th 11th 10th 11th
Nations 16 16 16 16 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

Team statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships men's water polo tournament records and statistics § Team statistics

Participating teams

Note: Results of qualification tournaments are not included.

Legend
Africa – CANA (2 teams)
Men's team[1] 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Egypt 15th 15th 2
 South Africa 15th 14th 15th 14th 15th 16th 15th 12th 16th 12th 12th 16th 15th 13
Americas – ASUA (7 teams)
Men's team[1] 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Argentina 16th 13th 2
 Brazil 12th 12th 13th 13th 13th 14th 10th 12th 13th 15th WD 14th 11
 Canada 14th 14th 14th 13th 13th 14th 13th 15th 14th 13th 12th 8th 10th 11th 9th 15th 16th 12th 18
 Colombia 16th 1
 Cuba 6th 4th 10th 5th 7th 11th 11th 12th 8
 Mexico 9th 9th 15th 3
 United States 5th 8th 5th 6th 4th 4th 6th 7th 7th 6th 11th 9th 4th 6th 9th 7th 13th 9th 6th 7th 9th 21
Asia – AASF (5 teams)
Men's team[1] 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 China 10th 14th 16th 16th 13th 12th 15th 14th 15th 15th 12th 11
 Iran 15th 15th 2
 Japan 16th 15th 14th 16th 11th 13th 10th 11th 9th 11th 13th 11
 Kazakhstan Part of Soviet Union 12th 11th 12th 16th 13th 12th 11th 11th 14th 14th 14th 16th 12
 South Korea 15th 1
Europe – LEN (22 teams)
Men's team[1] 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Bulgaria 13th 12th 8th 3
 Croatia Part of Yugoslavia 4th 9th 8th 9th 4th 1st 3rd 3rd 3rd 2nd 1st 3rd 4th 9th 1st 15
 France 13th 8th 12th 14th 6th 4th 6
 Georgia Part of Soviet Union 10th 1
 Germany See West Germany 5th 9th 14th 11th 9th 8th 6th 8th 10th 8th 13th 11
 Great Britain 15th 1
 Greece 12th 12th 12th 11th 10th 7th 8th 6th 4th 3rd 6th 6th 3rd 4th 7th 3rd 2nd 5th 18
 Hungary 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 9th 3rd 5th 2nd 5th 1st 2nd 2nd 5th 4th 1st 6th 2nd 4th 7th 1st 7th 21
 Israel 16th 16th 15th 3
 Italy 4th 3rd 1st 9th 2nd 6th 1st 5th 4th 2nd 8th 5th 11th 1st 4th 4th 6th 1st 2nd 5th 2nd 21
 Montenegro Part of Yugoslavia Part of FRY / SCG 9th 7th 2nd 5th 5th 10th 8th 8th 8th 9
Men's team 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Netherlands 8th 7th 13th 4th 14th 8th 9th 7
 North Macedonia Part of Yugoslavia 14th 1
 Romania 7th 5th 6th 9th 13th 12th 6th 11th 7th 12th 13th 10th 12
 Russia Part of Soviet Union 3rd 6th 3rd 10th 7th 7th 14th 8th DQ DQ DQ 8
 Serbia Part of Yugoslavia Part of FRY / SCG 4th 1st 2nd 7th 1st 3rd 5th 5th 4th 6th 10
 Serbia and Montenegro†[a] Part of Yugoslavia 3rd 2nd 3rd 1st Defunct 4
 Slovakia Part of Czechoslovakia 10th 11th 8th 3
 Soviet Union† 2nd 1st 4th 1st 3rd 7th Defunct 6
 Spain 10th 10th 11th 8th 5th 2nd 2nd 1st 1st 5th 5th 3rd 2nd 5th 5th 9th 2nd 1st 3rd 3rd 20
 West Germany† 11th 6th 7th 3rd 6th See Germany 5
 Yugoslavia† 3rd 13th 3rd 7th 1st 1st Defunct 6
Oceania – OSA (2 teams)
Men's team[1] 1973 1975 1978 1982 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Australia 14th 11th 9th 11th 10th 8th 10th 4th 10th 7th 10th 10th 10th 9th 8th 8th 7th 6th 11th 10th 11th 21
 New Zealand 16th 16th 16th 16th 15th 16th 16th 7
Total teams 16 16 16 16 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

Finishes in the top four

The following table is pre-sorted by total finishes in the top four (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the team (in ascending order), respectively.

Legend
Rk Men's team[1] Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last
1  Hungary 14 4 (1973, 2003, 2013, 2023) 7 (1975, 1978, 1982, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2017*) 1 (1991) 2 (2011, 2019) 1973 2023
2  Italy 13 4 (1978, 1994*, 2011, 2019) 4 (1986, 2003, 2022, 2024) 1 (1975) 4 (1973, 2001, 2013, 2015) 1973 2024
3  Croatia 11 3 (2007, 2017, 2024) 1 (2015) 4 (2009, 2011, 2013, 2019) 3 (1994, 2005, 2022) 1994 2024
4  Spain 10 3 (1998, 2001, 2022) 4 (1991, 1994, 2009, 2019) 2 (2007, 2023, 2024) 1991 2024
5  Serbia 6 2 (2009, 2015) 1 (2011) 1 (2017) 2 (2007, 2023) 2007 2023
6  Greece 6 1 (2023) 3 (2005, 2015, 2022) 2 (2003, 2017) 2003 2023
7  Soviet Union† 5 2 (1975, 1982) 1 (1973) 1 (1986) 1 (1978) 1973 1986
8  Yugoslavia† 4 2 (1986, 1991) 2 (1973*, 1978) 1973 1991
9  Yugoslavia†[a] /
 Serbia and Montenegro†		 4 1 (2005) 1 (2001) 2 (1998, 2003) 1998 2005
10  United States 3 3 (1986, 1991, 2009) 1986 2009
11  Russia 2 2 (1994, 2001) 1994 2001
12  Montenegro 1 1 (2013) 2013 2013
13  West Germany† 1 1 (1982) 1982 1982
14  Australia 1 1 (1998*) 1998 1998
 Cuba 1 (1975) 1975 1975
 France 1 (2024) 2024 2024
 Netherlands 1 (1982) 1982 1982
Rk Men's team Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last

Medal table

The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the team (in ascending order), respectively.

Legend
RankMen's teamGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Hungary47112
2 Italy4419
3 Spain34310
4 Croatia3148
5 Serbia2114
 Soviet Union†2114
7 Yugoslavia†2024
8 Yugoslavia†[a] /
 Serbia and Montenegro†		1124
9 Greece0134
10 Montenegro0101
11 Russia0022
12 West Germany†0011
Totals (12 entries)21212163

Champions (results and squads)

Main article: List of world champions in men's water polo

The following table shows results of world champions in men's water polo by tournament.

Legend
Abbreviation
Results of champions by tournament
# Men's tournament Champion MP W D L Win % GF GA GD GF/MP GA/MP GD/MP
1 Belgrade 1973  Hungary (1st title) 8 7 1 0 87.5% 58 24 34 7.250 3.000 4.250
2 Cali 1975  Soviet Union† (1st title) 8 6 2 0 75.0% 49 26 23 6.125 3.250 2.875
3 West Berlin 1978  Italy (1st title) 8 5 3 0 62.5% 41 31 10 5.125 3.875 1.250
4 Guayaquil 1982  Soviet Union† (2nd title) 7 6 1 0 85.7% 68 41 27 9.714 5.857 3.857
5 Madrid 1986  Yugoslavia† (1st title) 6 5 1 0 83.3% 61 43 18 10.167 7.167 3.000
6 Perth 1991  Yugoslavia† (2nd title) 7 6 0 1 85.7% 81 46 35 11.571 6.571 5.000
7 Rome 1994  Italy (2nd title) 7 7 0 0 100.0% 65 39 26 9.286 5.571 3.714
8 Perth 1998  Spain (1st title) 8 8 0 0 100.0% 65 35 30 8.125 4.375 3.750
9 Fukuoka 2001  Spain (2nd title) 8 8 0 0 100.0% 63 27 36 7.875 3.375 4.500
10 Barcelona 2003  Hungary (2nd title) 6 5 1 0 83.3% 62 37 25 10.333 6.167 4.167
11 Montreal 2005  Serbia and Montenegro† (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 69 29 40 11.500 4.833 6.667
12 Melbourne 2007  Croatia (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 65 40 25 10.833 6.667 4.167
13 Rome 2009  Serbia (1st title) 7 5 1 1 71.4% 80 60 20 11.429 8.571 2.857
14 Shanghai 2011  Italy (3rd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 59 33 26 9.833 5.500 4.333
15 Barcelona 2013  Hungary (3rd title) 7 5 1 1 71.4% 76 54 22 10.857 7.714 3.143
16 Kazan 2015  Serbia (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 73 43 30 12.167 7.167 5.000
17 Budapest 2017  Croatia (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 70 47 23 11.667 7.833 3.833
18 Gwangju 2019  Italy (4th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 60 40 20 10.000 6.667 3.333
19 Budapest 2022  Spain (3rd title) 5 5 0 0 100.0% 74 39 35 14.800 7.800 7.000
20 Fukuoka 2023  Hungary (4th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 88 67 21 14.667 11.167 3.500
21 Doha 2024  Croatia (3rd title) 7 6 0 1 85.7% 117 70 47 16.174 10.000 6.174
# Men's tournament Total 141 126 11 4 89.4% 1444 871 573 10.241 6.177 4.064
Champion MP W D L Win % GF GA GD GF/MP GA/MP GD/MP

Sources:

The following table shows men's teams that won all matches during the tournament.

Winning all matches during the tournament
# Year Champion MP W D L Win %
1 1994  Italy (2nd title) 7 7 0 0 100.0%
2 1998  Spain (1st title) 8 8 0 0 100.0%
3 2001  Spain (2nd title) 8 8 0 0 100.0%
4 2005  Serbia and Montenegro† (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
5 2007  Croatia (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
6 2011  Italy (3rd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
7 2015  Serbia (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
8 2017  Croatia (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
9 2019  Italy (4th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
10 2022  Spain (3rd title) 5 5 0 0 100.0%
11 2023  Hungary (4th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
# Year Champion MP W D L Win %

The following tables show records of goals for per match.

Historical progression of records – goals for per match
Goals for
per match		 Achievement Year Champion Date of
winning gold		 Duration of record
7.250 Set record 1973  Hungary (1st title) 9 September 1973 8 years, 332 days
9.714 Broke record 1982  Soviet Union† (2nd title) 7 August 1982 4 years, 15 days
10.167 Broke record 1986  Yugoslavia† (1st title) 22 August 1986 4 years, 144 days
11.571 Broke record 1991  Yugoslavia† (2nd title) 13 January 1991 24 years, 207 days
12.167 Broke record 2015  Serbia (2nd title) 8 August 2015 6 years, 329 days
14.800 Broke record 2022  Spain (3rd title) 3 July 2022 1 year, 229 days
16.174 Broke record 2024  Croatia (3rd title) 17 February 2024 44 days

The following tables show records of goals against per match.

The following tables show records of goals difference per match.

Player statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships men's water polo tournament records and statistics § Player statistics
(C) Captain Apps Appearances Ref Reference Rk Rank
L/R Handedness Pos Playing position FP Field player GK Goalkeeper

Multiple gold medalists

Main articles: List of world champions in men's water polo and List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo

The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), date of receiving the last gold medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first gold medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.

Serbian player Slobodan Nikić is the first and only male athlete to win three gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.[3]

There are thirty five male athletes who won two gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend
Male athletes who won three or more gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
Rk Player Birth Height Men's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 Medals Ref
G S B T
1 Slobodan Nikić 1983 1.97 m
(6 ft 6 in)		  Serbia and Montenegro FP 2003 2005 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 12 years
(20/32)		 3 1 1 5 [3]
 Serbia Does not appear Does not appear 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015

Multiple medalists

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo

The following table is pre-sorted by total number of medals (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), date of receiving the last medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first medal (in ascending order), name of the player (in ascending order), respectively.

Nine male athletes won five or more medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships. Aside from Brazilian-born Spanish player Felipe Perrone[4] (who won six medals), Serbian player Slobodan Nikić[3] and Spanish player Blai Mallarach[5] (who won five medals each), all others were members of the Croatia men's national water polo team. Andro Bušlje is the first and only athlete (man or woman) to win seven medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships (two gold, one silver and four bronze).[6]

Legend
Male athletes who won five or more medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
Rk Player Birth Height Men's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 Medals Ref
G S B T
1 Andro Bušlje 1986 2.00 m
(6 ft 7 in)		  Croatia FP 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 14 years
(19/33)		 2 1 4 7 [6]
2 Maro Joković 1987 2.03 m
(6 ft 8 in)		  Croatia FP 2007 Does not appear 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 12 years
(19/31)		 2 1 3 6 [7]
3 Felipe Perrone 1986 1.83 m
(6 ft 0 in)		  Spain FP Does not appear Does not appear 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 Does not appear Does not appear 2019 2022 2023 2024 22 years
(15/37)		 1 2 3 6 [4]
 Brazil 2001 2003 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 2015 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear
4 Slobodan Nikić 1983 1.97 m
(6 ft 6 in)		  Serbia and Montenegro FP 2003 2005 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 12 years
(20/32)		 3 1 1 5 [3]
 Serbia Does not appear Does not appear 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear
5 Marko Bijač 1991 2.01 m
(6 ft 7 in)		  Croatia GK 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 11 years
(22/33)		 2 1 2 5 [8]
Luka Lončar 1987 1.95 m
(6 ft 5 in)		  Croatia FP 2013 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 10 years
(26/36)		 2 1 2 5 [9]
7 Blai Mallarach 1987 1.87 m
(6 ft 2 in)		  Spain FP 2009 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 15 years
(21/36)		 1 2 2 5 [5]
8 Josip Pavić 1982 1.95 m
(6 ft 5 in)		  Croatia GK 2001 Does not appear 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 14 years
(19/33)		 1 1 3 5 [10]
Sandro Sukno 1990 2.00 m
(6 ft 7 in)		  Croatia FP 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(19/27)		 1 1 3 5 [11]
Rk Player Birth Height Men's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 G S B T Ref
Medals

Women's tournament

Results summary

Year[1] Host Gold Score Silver Bronze Score 4th place
1986
Details 		Madrid,
Spain
Australia 		Round-robin
(8–7)
Netherlands
United States 		Round-robin
(7–7)
Canada
1991
Details 		Perth,
Australia
Netherlands 		13–6
Canada
United States 		11–9
Hungary
1994
Details 		Rome,
Italy
Hungary 		7–5
Netherlands
Italy 		14–9
United States
1998
Details 		Perth,
Australia
Italy 		7–6
Netherlands
Australia 		8–5
Russia
2001
Details 		Fukuoka,
Japan
Italy 		7–3
Hungary
Canada 		6–5
United States
2003
Details 		Barcelona,
Spain
United States 		8–6
Italy
Russia 		9–7
Canada
2005
Details 		Montreal,
Canada
Hungary 		10–7 (OT)
United States
Canada 		8–3
Russia
2007
Details 		Melbourne,
Australia
United States 		6–5
Australia
Russia 		9–8
Hungary
2009
Details 		Rome,
Italy
United States 		7–6
Canada
Russia 		10–9
Greece
2011
Details 		Shanghai,
China
Greece 		9–8
China
Russia 		8–7
Italy
2013
Details 		Barcelona,
Spain
Spain 		8–6
Australia
Hungary 		10–8
Russia
2015
Details 		Kazan,
Russia
United States 		5–4
Netherlands
Italy 		7–7
(5–3 pen.)
Australia
2017
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary
United States 		13–6
Spain
Russia 		11–9
Canada
2019
Details 		Gwangju,
South Korea
United States 		11–6
Spain
Australia 		10–9
Hungary
2022
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary
United States 		9–7
Hungary
Netherlands 		7–5
Italy
2023
Details 		Fukuoka,
Japan
Netherlands 		12–12
(5–4 pen.)
Spain
Italy 		16–14
Australia
2024
Details 		Doha,
Qatar
United States 		8–7
Hungary
Spain 		10–9
Greece
2025
Details 		Kallang,
Singapore
2027
Details 		Budapest,
Hungary

Confederation statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships women's water polo tournament records and statistics § Confederation statistics

Best performances by tournament

This is a summary of the best performances of each confederation in each tournament.[1]

Legend
Confederation 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024
Africa – CANA — — — — — — — — 16th 15th 15th 16th 16th 14th 13th 12th 14th
Americas – ASUA 3rd 2nd 4th 6th 3rd 1st 2nd 1st 1st 6th 5th 1st 1st 1st 1st 5th 1st
Asia – AASF — — 12th 12th 8th 11th 15th 13th 11th 2nd 9th 5th 10th 10th 11th 13th 10th
Europe – LEN 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 2nd 1st 3rd 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 2nd 2nd 2nd 1st 2nd
Oceania – OSA 1st 5th 6th 3rd 5th 7th 6th 2nd 6th 5th 2nd 4th 8th 3rd 6th 4th 6th
Nations 9 9 12 12 12 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

Team statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships women's water polo tournament records and statistics § Team statistics

Participating teams

Note: Results of qualification tournaments are not included.

Legend
Africa – CANA (1 team)
Women's team[1] 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 South Africa 16th 15th 15th 16th 16th 14th 13th 12th 14th 9
Americas – ASUA (8 teams)
Women's team[1] 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Argentina 12th 16th 2
 Brazil 8th 11th 10th 10th 13th 13th 10th 13th 14th 14th 10th 14th 14th WD 15th 14
 Canada 4th 2nd 5th 6th 3rd 4th 3rd 6th 2nd 8th 8th 11th 4th 9th 9th 7th 8th 17
Colombia 16th 1
 Cuba 9th 15th 10th 15th 4
 Puerto Rico 16th 1
 United States 3rd 3rd 4th 8th 4th 1st 2nd 1st 1st 6th 5th 1st 1st 1st 1st 5th 1st 17
 Venezuela 14th 14th 2
Asia – AASF (7 teams)
Women's team[1] 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 China 16th 14th 11th 2nd 9th 5th 10th 11th WD 13th 10th 10
 Japan 11th 11th 15th 13th 13th WD 14th WD 6
 Kazakhstan Part of URS 12th 12th 8th 12th 13th 14th 13th 11th 12th 15th 10th 11th 15th 12th 14
 Singapore 16th 1
 South Korea 16th 1
 Thailand 15th 1
 Uzbekistan Part of URS 15th 15th 16th 16th 4
Europe – LEN (13 teams)
Women's team[1] 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Belgium 7th 1
 France 9th 9th 15th 14th 11th 8th 9th 13th 8
 Germany FRG 6th 8th 10th 8th 11th 10th 6
 Great Britain 9th 16th 13th 11th 4
 Greece 5th 7th 9th 5th 8th 4th 1st 6th 6th 7th 8th 7th 8th 4th 14
 Hungary 5th 4th 1st 7th 2nd 5th 1st 4th 7th 9th 3rd 9th 5th 4th 2nd 6th 2nd 17
 Israel 10th 1
 Italy 3rd 1st 1st 2nd 7th 5th 9th 4th 10th 3rd 6th 6th 4th 3rd 7th 15
 Netherlands 2nd 1st 2nd 2nd 9th 6th 10th 9th 5th 7th 7th 2nd 9th 7th 3rd 1st 5th 17
 Norway 8th 1
 Russia Part of URS 7th 4th 6th 3rd 4th 3rd 3rd 3rd 4th 8th 3rd 5th DQ DQ DQ 12
 Spain 9th 8th 11th 7th 8th 11th 1st 7th 2nd 2nd 5th 2nd 3rd 13
 West Germany† 6th See Germany 1
Oceania – OSA (2 teams)
Women's team[1] 1986 1991 1994 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Years
 Australia 1st 5th 6th 3rd 5th 7th 6th 2nd 6th 5th 2nd 4th 8th 3rd 6th 4th 6th 17
 New Zealand 7th 10th 11th 12th 12th 12th 12th 12th 12th 13th 12th 12th 10th 11th 9th 15
Total teams 9 9 12 12 12 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16

Finishes in the top four

The following table is pre-sorted by total finishes in the top four (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the team (in ascending order), respectively.

Legend
Rk Women's team[1] Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last
1  United States 13 8 (2003, 2007, 2009, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2024) 1 (2005) 2 (1986, 1991) 2 (1994, 2001) 1986 2024
2  Hungary 9 2 (1994, 2005) 3 (2001, 2022*, 2024) 1 (2013) 3 (1991, 2007, 2019) 1991 2024
3  Italy 8 2 (1998, 2001) 1 (2003) 3 (1994*, 2015, 2023) 2 (2011, 2022) 1994 2023
4  Russia 8 5 (2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2017) 3 (1998, 2005, 2013) 1998 2017
5  Netherlands 7 2 (1991, 2023) 4 (1986, 1994, 1998, 2015) 1 (2022) 1986 2023
6  Australia 7 1 (1986) 2 (2007*, 2013) 2 (1998*, 2019) 2 (2015, 2023) 1986 2023
7  Canada 7 2 (1991, 2009) 2 (2001, 2005*) 3 (1986, 2003, 2017) 1986 2017
8  Spain 5 1 (2013*) 3 (2017, 2019, 2023) 1 (2024) 2013 2024
9  Greece 3 1 (2011) 2 (2009, 2024) 2009 2024
10  China 1 1 (2011*) 2011 2011
Rk Women's team Total Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place First Last

Medal table

The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the team (in ascending order), respectively.

RankWomen's teamGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States81211
2 Netherlands2417
3 Hungary2316
4 Italy2136
5 Spain1315
6 Australia1225
7 Greece1001
8 Canada0224
9 China0101
10 Russia0055
Totals (10 entries)17171751

Champions (results and squads)

Main article: List of world champions in women's water polo

The following table shows results of world champions in women's water polo by tournament.

Legend
Abbreviation
Results of champions by tournament
# Women's tournament Champion MP W D L Win % GF GA GD GF/MP GA/MP GD/MP
1 Madrid 1986  Australia (1st title) 7 7 0 0 100.0% 83 36 47 11.857 5.143 6.714
2 Perth 1991  Netherlands (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 71 47 24 11.833 7.833 4.000
3 Rome 1994  Hungary (1st title) 7 6 0 1 85.7% 55 38 17 7.857 5.429 2.429
4 Perth 1998  Italy (1st title) 8 5 0 3 62.5% 77 57 20 9.625 7.125 2.500
5 Fukuoka 2001  Italy (2nd title) 8 6 1 1 75.0% 77 45 32 9.625 5.625 4.000
6 Barcelona 2003  United States (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 62 31 31 10.333 5.167 5.167
7 Montreal 2005  Hungary (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 64 35 29 10.667 5.833 4.833
8 Melbourne 2007  United States (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 56 38 18 9.333 6.333 3.000
9 Rome 2009  United States (3rd title) 7 6 0 1 85.7% 77 53 24 11.000 7.571 3.429
10 Shanghai 2011  Greece (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 62 51 11 10.333 8.500 1.833
11 Barcelona 2013  Spain (1st title) 6 5 0 1 83.3% 88 53 35 14.667 8.833 5.833
12 Kazan 2015  United States (4th title) 7 6 0 1 85.7% 72 36 36 10.286 5.143 5.143
13 Budapest 2017  United States (5th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 92 37 55 15.333 6.167 9.167
14 Gwangju 2019  United States (6th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 93 26 67 15.500 4.333 11.167
15 Budapest 2022  United States (7th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 94 33 61 15.667 5.500 10.167
16 Fukuoka 2023  Netherlands (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 104 50 54 17.333 8.333 9.000
17 Doha 2024  United States (8th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0% 92 41 51 15.333 6.833 8.500
# Women's tournament Total 110 101 1 8 91.8% 1319 707 612 11.991 6.427 5.564
Champion MP W D L Win % GF GA GD GF/MP GA/MP GD/MP

Sources:

The following table shows women's teams that won all matches during the tournament.

Winning all matches during the tournament
# Year Champion MP W D L Win %
1 1986  Australia (1st title) 7 7 0 0 100.0%
2 1991  Netherlands (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
3 2003  United States (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
4 2005  Hungary (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
5 2007  United States (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
6 2011  Greece (1st title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
7 2017  United States (5th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
8 2019  United States (6th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
9 2022  United States (7th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
10 2023  Netherlands (2nd title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
11 2024  United States (8th title) 6 6 0 0 100.0%
# Year Champion MP W D L Win %

The following tables show records of goals for per match.

Historical progression of records – goals for per match
Goals for
per match		 Achievement Year Champion Date of
winning gold		 Duration of record
11.857 Set record 1986  Australia (1st title) 22 August 1986 26 years, 345 days
14.667 Broke record 2013  Spain (1st title) 2 August 2013 3 years, 360 days
15.333 Broke record 2017  United States (5th title) 28 July 2017 1 year, 363 days
15.500 Broke record 2019  United States (6th title) 26 July 2019 2 years, 341 days
15.667 Broke record 2022  United States (7th title) 2 July 2022 1 year, 26 days
17.333 Broke record 2023  Netherlands (2nd title) 28 July 2023 248 days

The following tables show records of goals against per match.

The following tables show records of goals difference per match.

Player statistics

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships women's water polo tournament records and statistics § Player statistics
(C) Captain Apps Appearances Ref Reference Rk Rank
L/R Handedness Pos Playing position FP Field player GK Goalkeeper

Multiple gold medalists

Main articles: List of world champions in women's water polo and List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo

The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the player (in ascending order), date of receiving the last gold medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first gold medal (in ascending order), respectively.

Fourteen female athletes won three or more gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships. They were all members of the United States women's national water polo team. Rachel Fattal, Maddie Musselman and Maggie Steffens are the only athletes (men or women) to win five gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.

There are twenty six female athletes who won two gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend
Female athletes who won three or more gold medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
Rk Player Birth Height Women's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 Medals Ref
G S B T
1 Rachel Fattal 1993 1.73 m
(5 ft 8 in)		  United States FP 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear 11 years
(19/30)		 5 0 0 5 [12]
Maddie Musselman 1998 1.81 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  United States FP 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(17/25)		 5 0 0 5 [13]
Maggie Steffens 1993 1.73 m
(5 ft 8 in)		  United States FP 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 12 years
(18/30)		 5 0 0 5 [14]
4 Kaleigh Gilchrist 1992 1.76 m
(5 ft 9 in)		  United States FP 2015 Does not appear 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(23/31)		 4 0 0 4 [15]
Ashleigh Johnson 1994 1.86 m
(6 ft 1 in)		  United States GK 2015 Does not appear 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear 9 years
(20/29)		 4 0 0 4 [16]
Amanda Longan 1997 1.85 m
(6 ft 1 in)		  United States GK 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 7 years
(20/27)		 4 0 0 4 [17]
7 Heather Petri 1978 1.80 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  United States FP 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 Does not appear Does not appear 10 years
(23/33)		 3 1 0 4 [18]
Brenda Villa 1980 1.63 m
(5 ft 4 in)		  United States FP 1998 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 Does not appear 13 years
(17/31)		 3 1 0 4 [19]
9 Kami Craig 1987 1.81 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  United States FP 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(19/28)		 3 0 0 3 [20]
Makenzie Fischer 1997 1.86 m
(6 ft 1 in)		  United States FP 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 4 years
(18/22)		 3 0 0 3 [21]
Kiley Neushul 1993 1.73 m
(5 ft 8 in)		  United States FP 2013 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 6 years
(20/26)		 3 0 0 3 [22]
Jordan Raney 1996 1.78 m
(5 ft 10 in)		  United States FP 2017 Does not appear 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 6 years
(21/27)		 3 0 0 3 [23]
Melissa Seidemann 1990 1.83 m
(6 ft 0 in)		  United States FP 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(21/29)		 3 0 0 3 [24]
Alys Williams 1994 1.81 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  United States FP 2015 2017 2019 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 4 years
(21/25)		 3 0 0 3 [25]
Rk Player Birth Height Women's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 G S B T Ref
Medals

Multiple medalists

Main article: List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo

The following table is pre-sorted by total number of medals (in descending order), number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), name of the player (in ascending order), date of receiving the last medal (in ascending order), date of receiving the first medal (in ascending order), respectively.

Six female athletes won five medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend
Female athletes who won four medals in water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
Rk Player Birth Height Women's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 Medals Ref
G S B T
1 Rachel Fattal 1993 1.73 m
(5 ft 8 in)		  United States FP 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 11 years
(19/30)		 5 0 0 5 [12]
Maddie Musselman 1998 1.81 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  United States FP 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 8 years
(17/25)		 5 0 0 5 [13]
Maggie Steffens 1993 1.73 m
(5 ft 8 in)		  United States FP 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 12 years
(18/30)		 5 0 0 5 [14]
4 Anni Espar 1993 1.80 m
(5 ft 11 in)		  Spain FP 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear Does not appear 13 years
(18/31)		 1 3 1 5 [26]
Laura Ester 1990 1.70 m
(5 ft 7 in)		  Spain GK 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 Does not appear Does not appear 15 years
(19/34)		 1 3 1 5 [27]
Pili Peña 1986 1.74 m
(5 ft 9 in)		  Spain FP 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 2022 2023 2024 18 years
(19/37)		 1 3 1 5 [28]
Rk Player Birth Height Women's team Pos Water polo tournament Period
(age of
first/last)		 G S B T Ref
Medals

Combined medal table

The following table is pre-sorted by number of gold medals (in descending order), number of silver medals (in descending order), number of bronze medals (in descending order), name of the country (in ascending order), respectively.

Italy, Hungary and Spain are the only three countries to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments at the World Aquatics Championships.

Legend
RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States81211
2 Hungary610218
3 Italy65415
4 Spain47415
5 Croatia3148
6 Netherlands2417
7 Serbia2114
 Soviet Union†2114
9 Yugoslavia†2024
10 Australia1225
11 Greece1135
12 Yugoslavia†[a] /
 Serbia and Montenegro†		1124
13 Canada0224
14 China0101
 Montenegro0101
16 Russia0077
17 West Germany†0011
Totals (17 entries)383838114

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d After the breakup of Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia men's national water polo team participated at the 1998 and 2001 World Aquatics Championships. In 2003, after the country was renamed from FR Yugoslavia to Serbia and Montenegro, the team was also renamed to Serbia and Montenegro men's national water polo team.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 14, 57. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ a b c d "Slobodan Nikić". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Felipe Perrone". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Blai Mallarach". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  6. ^ a b "Andro Bušlje". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  7. ^ "Maro Joković". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Marko Bijač". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  9. ^ "Luka Lončar". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Josip Pavić". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  11. ^ "Sandro Sukno". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Rachel Fattal". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  13. ^ a b "Maddie Musselman". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  14. ^ a b "Maggie Steffens". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  15. ^ "Kaleigh Gilchrist". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  16. ^ "Ashleigh Johnson". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Amanda Longan". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  18. ^ "Heather Petri". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  19. ^ "Brenda Villa". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Kami Craig". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  21. ^ "Makenzie Fischer". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  22. ^ "Kiley Neushul". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Jordan Raney". gostanford.com. Gostanford. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  24. ^ "Melissa Seidemann". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Alys Williams". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Laura Ester". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  27. ^ "Laura Ester". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  28. ^ "Pili Peña". olympedia.org. Olympedia. Retrieved 30 November 2020.

Sources

Official Reports (FINA)

PDF documents on the FINA website:

Official Results Books (FINA)

PDF documents on the Omega Timing website:

PDF documents on the Sport Result website:

Olympedia

Water polo on the Olympedia website:

Todor66

Water polo on the Todor66 website:

External links

Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships
FINA World Aquatics Championships
International water polo
Water polo records and statistics
World championships
Categories