With little time to recover from the festive season, the world’s best men’s water polo teams are back in action for the Division I series of the World Aquatics World Cup in Bucharest, Romania. The Division II series was played late in December with China and Japan winning through to April’s finals series. The top six teams in Bucharest will qualify for the finals. This event was postponed in 2024 because of the European Championships, the Doha World Aquatics Championships and the Paris Olympics — seven months of action-packed water polo that left no room for the World Cup. With the Covid pandemic disrupting proceedings for some years, we are back to normal in 2025 with just the two major world events scheduled — the World Aquatics World Cup and World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. Taking part in the Division One seven-day event in Bucharest are 11 men’s teams with triple Olympic champion Serbia heading the bill in a tough B grouping with world No 5 Greece and world No 9 Montenegro. Fukuoka 2023 world champion Hungary, European champion Spain and world No 10 France front in Group A. Olympic bronze medallist United States of America, world No 11 Japan and world No 12 Romania play in Group C and Olympic silver medallist Croatia and Georgia have Group D to themselves with the absence of unavailable Australia and Italy, which is serving a six-month suspension. Image Source: Croatia/World Aquatics Competition Format There are three groups of three with one group of two — Croatia and Georgia, who have decided to play just the one match between them when two were offered — group matches on the first three days followed by the third team in each of three groups having a crossover series to find the best two to play for ninth classification later in the week. Day four will start with crossovers, followed by quarterfinals on day five; semifinals on day six and classification matches on day seven. Image Source: Hungary v Serbia/World Aquatics Groupings Group A: France, Hungary, SpainGroup B: Serbia, Greece, MontenegroGroup C: United States of America, Japan, RomaniaGroup D: Croatia, Georgia Image Source: Serbia v Spain/World Aquatics History Hungary has won the trophy four times — 1979 1995, 1999 and 2018— lost four finals and claimed two bronze medals to be the leading nation. Serbia has won twice — 2010 and 2014 — and taken bronze once. As the combined Serbia-Montenegro team, it won the 2006 edition. Yugoslavia won in 1987 and 1989 with silver coming in 1991. United States of America is also a dual winner, taking home the crowns in 1991 and 1997 while losing the final in 1985. Spain is the reigning champion, having beat Italy in Los Angeles 2023 and has won five bronze-medal matches stretching back to 1985. Croatia is next best, earning its silver medal in 2010 and bronze in 2014. Greece gained its sole medal — silver — losing to USA in 1997 in front of a home crowd in Athens. Romania was sixth in 2023 and its best effort — from five visits — was fifth in Oradea, Romania in 2010. Japan was seventh in Berlin, Germany in 2018 — its inaugural World Cup series. Image Source: Romania v Montenegro/World Aquatics New Rules For men’s water polo there are changes with the new rules ratified midway through last month and played in Istanbul at the Division Two tournament. Field of Play (FOP): The overall Field of Play for men’s and women’s matches will be 25.60m x 20.0m. Team Composition: The team start list shall consist of a maximum of 14 eligible players, composed of 12 field players and two goalkeepers. Possession Time: The maximum ball possession time within a men’s match will be 25 seconds; the maximum ball possession time within a women’s match will be 30 seconds. Coaches’ Challenge: Each coach is entitled to challenge one referee-initiated call per match, so long as the challenge involves the following: A referee’s perceived failure to call a violent action; or A referee's perceived failure to call a penalty foul; or A referee’s perceived incorrect call of a penalty foul; or Field of Play situations not reviewed by VAR technology. Goalkeeper: A team must start the match with seven players, one of whom must be a goalkeeper. Following the start of the match, a team is not obliged to have a goalkeeper in the water and may instead have seven field players. Image Source: Greece v United States of America/World Aquatics Summary With just the World Aquatics World Cup and World Aquatics Championships on the books for this year, there is still much to play for. What will be of most interest will be the team line-ups — who have dropped out and which newcomers are taking their places. It certainly is a year to impress for the debutants. Day 1 Programme 18:30. Match 1. Japan v United States of America20:00. Match 2. Spain v Hungary Enjoy this article? Why not share... Facebook Share on Facebook Twitter Share on Twitter Messenger Share on Messenger Whatsapp Share on Whatsapp Copy Link label.share.via

Men's Division One Water Polo Tournament I Georgia makes World Cup debut

Group A: France, Hungary, SpainGroup B: Serbia, Greece, MontenegroGroup C: United States of America, Japan, RomaniaGroup D: Croatia, Georgia With little time to recover from the festive season, the world’s best men’s water polo teams are back in action for the Division I series of the World Aquatics World Cup in Bucharest, Romania. The Division […]

Group A: France, Hungary, Spain
Group B: Serbia, Greece, Montenegro
Group C: United States of America, Japan, Romania
Group D: Croatia, Georgia
With little time to recover from the festive season, the world’s best men’s water polo teams are back in action for the Division I series of the World Aquatics World Cup in Bucharest, Romania. The Division II series was played late in December with China and Japan winning through to April’s finals series. The top six teams in Bucharest will qualify for the finals.
Hungary has won the trophy four times — 1979 1995, 1999 and 2018— lost four finals and claimed two bronze medals to be the leading nation.
Japan was seventh in Berlin, Germany in 2018 — its inaugural World Cup series.

Competition Format

Romania was sixth in 2023 and its best effort — from five visits — was fifth in Oradea, Romania in 2010.

Groupings

United States of America is also a dual winner, taking home the crowns in 1991 and 1997 while losing the final in 1985.

History

Serbia has won twice — 2010 and 2014 — and taken bronze once. As the combined Serbia-Montenegro team, it won the 2006 edition. Yugoslavia won in 1987 and 1989 with silver coming in 1991.
Field of Play (FOP): The overall Field of Play for men’s and women’s matches will be 25.60m x 20.0m.
18:30. Match 1. Japan v United States of America
20:00. Match 2. Spain v Hungary

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Croatia is next best, earning its silver medal in 2010 and bronze in 2014.
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There are three groups of three with one group of two — Croatia and Georgia, who have decided to play just the one match between them when two were offered — group matches on the first three days followed by the third team in each of three groups having a crossover series to find the best two to play for ninth classification later in the week. Day four will start with crossovers, followed by quarterfinals on day five; semifinals on day six and classification matches on day seven.

New Rules

Taking part in the Division One seven-day event in Bucharest are 11 men’s teams with triple Olympic champion Serbia heading the bill in a tough B grouping with world No 5 Greece and world No 9 Montenegro. Fukuoka 2023 world champion Hungary, European champion Spain and world No 10 France front in Group A. Olympic bronze medallist United States of America, world No 11 Japan and world No 12 Romania play in Group C and Olympic silver medallist Croatia and Georgia have Group D to themselves with the absence of unavailable Australia and Italy, which is serving a six-month suspension.
Greece gained its sole medal — silver — losing to USA in 1997 in front of a home crowd in Athens.

Team Composition: The team start list shall consist of a maximum of 14 eligible players, composed of 12 field players and two goalkeepers.

Possession Time: The maximum ball possession time within a men’s match will be 25 seconds; the maximum ball possession time within a women’s match will be 30 seconds.

Coaches’ Challenge: Each coach is entitled to challenge one referee-initiated call per match, so long as the challenge involves the following:

A referee’s perceived failure to call a violent action; or
A referee’s perceived failure to call a penalty foul; or
A referee’s perceived incorrect call of a penalty foul; or
Field of Play situations not reviewed by VAR technology.

Goalkeeper: A team must start the match with seven players, one of whom must be a goalkeeper. Following the start of the match, a team is not obliged to have a goalkeeper in the water and may instead have seven field players.

Summary

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Day 1 Programme

With just the World Aquatics World Cup and World Aquatics Championships on the books for this year, there is still much to play for. What will be of most interest will be the team line-ups — who have dropped out and which newcomers are taking their places. It certainly is a year to impress for the debutants.

With the Covid pandemic disrupting proceedings for some years, we are back to normal in 2025 with just the two major world events scheduled — the World Aquatics World Cup and World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.