WaterPoloHub
The World Championship, 1973–2025
Every edition of the men's World Championship, newest first — the podium, fourth place, the host, the size of the field and both medal matches where they were played. Hungary, Italy and Spain have four titles each. The first four editions — 1973, 1975, 1978 and 1982 — were decided by a final round-robin and have no gold or bronze medal match to report; the card says so rather than showing a blank where a scoreline belongs.
Who has won it
| Nation | 🥇 | 🥈 | 🥉 | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Hungary |
4 | 8 | 1 | 1973, 2003, 2013, 2023 |
 Spain |
4 | 4 | 3 | 1998, 2001, 2022, 2025 |
 Italy |
4 | 4 | 1 | 1978, 1994, 2011, 2019 |
 Croatia |
3 | 1 | 4 | 2007, 2017, 2024 |
 Serbia |
2 | 1 | 1 | 2009, 2015 |
| Soviet Union † | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1975, 1982 |
| Yugoslavia † | 2 | 2 | 1986, 1991 | |
| Serbia and Montenegro † | 1 | 1 | 2005 | |
 Greece |
1 | 4 | ||
| FR Yugoslavia † | 1 | 1 | ||
 Montenegro |
1 | |||
| Russia † | 2 | |||
| West Germany † | 1 |
† a team that no longer competes, or one this site holds no fixture for. Counted under the name each side competed with — Yugoslavia's titles are not Serbia's and the Soviet Union's are not Russia's.
Every edition, newest first
2025 Singapore, Singapore
12–24 Jul 2025 · 16 teams · 48 matches
| 🥇 | Spain |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | Greece |
| 4 | Serbia |
Final 15-13 · bronze 16-7
2024 Doha, Qatar
5–17 Feb 2024 · 16 teams · 48 matches
| 🥇 | Croatia |
| 🥈 | Italy |
| 🥉 | Spain |
| 4 |  France |
Final 11-11 (4-2 ps) · bronze 14-10
2023 Fukuoka, Japan
17–29 Jul 2023 · 16 teams
| 🥇 | Hungary |
| 🥈 | Greece |
| 🥉 | Spain |
| 4 | Serbia |
Final 10-10 (4-3 ps) · bronze 9-6
2022 Budapest, Hungary
21 Jun – 3 Jul 2022 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Spain |
| 🥈 | Italy |
| 🥉 | Greece |
| 4 | Croatia |
Final 9-9 (6-5 ps) · bronze 9-7
2019 Gwangju, South Korea
15–27 Jul 2019 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Italy |
| 🥈 | Spain |
| 🥉 | Croatia |
| 4 | Hungary |
Final 10-5 · bronze 10-7
2017 Budapest, Hungary
17–29 Jul 2017 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Croatia |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | Serbia |
| 4 | Greece |
Final 8-6 · bronze 11-8
2015 Kazan, Russia
27 Jul – 8 Aug 2015 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Serbia |
| 🥈 | Croatia |
| 🥉 | Greece |
| 4 | Italy |
Final 11-4 · bronze 7-7 (4-2 ps)
2013 Barcelona, Spain
22 Jul – 3 Aug 2013 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Hungary |
| 🥈 | Montenegro |
| 🥉 | Croatia |
| 4 | Italy |
Final 8-7 · bronze 10-8
2011 Shanghai, China
18–30 Jul 2011 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Italy |
| 🥈 | Serbia |
| 🥉 | Croatia |
| 4 | Hungary |
Final 8-7 aet · bronze 12-11
2009 Rome, Italy
22 Jul – 3 Aug 2009 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Serbia |
| 🥈 | Spain |
| 🥉 | Croatia |
| 4 |  United States of America |
Final 7-7 aet (7-6 ps) · bronze 8-6
2007 Melbourne, Australia
19 Mar – 1 Apr 2007 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Croatia |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | Spain |
| 4 | Serbia |
Final 9-8 aet · bronze 9-9 aet (9-8 ps)
2005 Montreal, Canada
18–30 Jul 2005 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | Greece |
| 4 | Croatia |
Final 8-7 · bronze 11-10 aet
2003 Barcelona, Spain
14–26 Jul 2003 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Hungary |
| 🥈 | Italy |
| 🥉 | Serbia and Montenegro |
| 4 | Greece |
Final 11-9 aet · bronze 5-3
2001 Fukuoka, Japan
19–29 Jul 2001 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Spain |
| 🥈 | FR Yugoslavia |
| 🥉 | Russia |
| 4 | Italy |
Final 4-2 · bronze 7-6
1998 Perth, Australia
7–18 Jan 1998 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Spain |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | FR Yugoslavia |
| 4 |  Australia |
Final 6-4 · bronze 9-5
1994 Rome, Italy
1–11 Sep 1994 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Italy |
| 🥈 | Spain |
| 🥉 | Russia |
| 4 | Croatia |
Final 10-5 · bronze 14-13 aet
1991 Perth, Australia
3–13 Jan 1991 · 16 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Yugoslavia |
| 🥈 | Spain |
| 🥉 | Hungary |
| 4 | United States of America |
Final 8-7 · bronze 13-12
1986 Madrid, Spain
13–23 Aug 1986 · 15 teams · 1 match
| 🥇 | Yugoslavia |
| 🥈 | Italy |
| 🥉 | Soviet Union |
| 4 | United States of America |
Final 12-11 aet · bronze 8-6 aet
1982 Guayaquil, Ecuador
29 Jul – 8 Aug 1982 · 16 teams
| 🥇 | Soviet Union |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | West Germany |
| 4 |  Netherlands |
Decided by a final round-robin; no gold or bronze medal match was played; the top two met 7-7 in the final group
1978 West Berlin, West Germany
19–27 Aug 1978 · 16 teams
| 🥇 | Italy |
| 🥈 | Hungary |
| 🥉 | Yugoslavia |
| 4 | Soviet Union |
Decided by a final round-robin; no gold or bronze medal match was played; the top two met 4-4 in the final group
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