Greece wins first Water Polo World Cup, defeating Hungary in final

Greece has achieved a historic milestone in water polo, clinching its first-ever World Cup title by defeating powerhouse Hungary 15-14 in a thrilling final held in Sydney, Australia. The victory marks a crowning achievement for the Greek national team, capping a remarkable tournament run.

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Greece conquered this Sunday the Water Polo World Cup for the first time in its history after defeating Hungary (14-15), the team with the most titles in history along with the United States, with four, in the final played in Sydney (Australia).

Under the guidance of coach Theodoros Vlachos, Greece navigated a challenging path to the final, overcoming Montenegro 14-13 in the quarterfinals and Italy 10-9 in the semifinals. This World Cup triumph adds a major senior international title to Greece's collection, which includes silver medals from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, the 2023 Fukuoka World Championships, and the 2025 World Cup, where Spain denied them the title. This win represents a significant moment of redemption and success for Greek water polo.

The final match was a tense affair, ultimately decided by a goal from Stylianos Argyropoulos with just thirteen seconds remaining. While goalkeeper Panagiotis Tzortzatos was instrumental in the semifinal with 23 saves, the final saw a standout offensive performance from Dimitrios Skoumpakis, who scored five goals to lead the Greek attack. Tzortzatos also provided crucial saves, making 12 interventions, though he was less decisive than in the previous match.

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The team led by Theodoros Vlachos culminated a brilliant run in the tournament, in which they beat Montenegro in the quarterfinals (14-13) and Italy in the semifinals (9-10), to win the first absolute major title in their history, after accumulating several runner-up finishes.

Hungary, a team with multiple World Cup titles, struggled in goal, with neither Kristóf Csoma nor Viktor Gyapjas able to provide the necessary saves against Greece's potent offense. The Hungarian team, which last won the title in 2018, once again fell short in the final, unable to replicate their past successes.

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Dimitrios Skoumpakis scored five goals to lead the triumph, while Tzortzatos, although less decisive, once again provided security under the posts with 12 interventions (46% effectiveness).