Courtesy: World Aquatics
LAUSANNE (SUI) – Fresh off their 2024 World Championship title and a silver-medal finish at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Croatia has claimed the top spot in the first-ever World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Rankings.
As Zagreb prepares to host the World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championships, Croatia stands firmly at the forefront of senior men’s water polo on the global stage.
With one month to go until the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Croatia—affectionately known as the Barakude (Barracudas)—enters the global showcase as the reigning world champions, having edged past current No. 7 Italy, 15–13, in a penalty shootout in the gold medal match.
Croatian national team captain and standout goalkeeper Marko Bijač welcomed the news of his team topping the global rankings:
“It’s nice to see that we earned first place in the first-ever water polo world ranking list. It’s another recognition of all our successes during the last period. We can be proud, and I hope we continue like this, starting with the World Championship in Singapore and, hopefully, staying the top-ranked team for an extended period.”
Spain bolstered its ranking with a gold-medal win at the 2025 Men’s Water Polo World Cup, defeating Hungary 19–14 in the semifinals and overcoming Greece 16–14 in the final. The Spanish squad, which took bronze at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha 2024, now holds the No. 2 spot.
Hungary, the 2023 world champions from Fukuoka, sit third in the newly released rankings, followed by Greece (4th), Serbia (5th), and the United States (6th).
Serbia displayed steely resilience at the Paris 2024 Olympics, capturing a third consecutive Olympic gold in men’s water polo. Despite a slow start in the group stage and a medal drought since Tokyo 2020, the defending Olympic champions surged when it mattered most to extend their recent run of Olympic dominance.
With Zagreb hosting the World Aquatics Men’s U20 Championships from 14–21 June, home fans will be eager to see whether Croatia can climb higher in the junior ranks.
In the first-ever Men’s U20 World Ranking list, unveiled today, defending U20 world champions Hungary hold the top spot, followed by Spain, Montenegro, Italy, Croatia, and Kazakhstan.
➤ Learn more about the ranking methodology in the “How it Works” section
➤ View the complete World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo Rankings
