Water polo is most popular in Hungary, Serbia, Croatia and Italy. All 11 countries ranked by Olympic medals, clubs and tradition.
Water polo is a sport of the Danube, the Adriatic and the Mediterranean. Men’s water polo has been Olympic since Paris 1900, and European teams have won every men’s tournament since 1908, the latest being Serbia in Paris 2024.
Below you will find the full ranking, a table of all-time Olympic medals, a profile of each country and a few other nations to watch. Registered player numbers are scarce outside Hungary and the United States, so the ranking rests mainly on results, clubs and tradition.
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Countries where water polo is most popular:
Water Polo Popularity by Country at a Glance
| Rank | Country | Olympic medals | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Hungary | 17 | Nine Olympic golds, Dezso Gyarmati |
| #2 | Serbia | 5 | Olympic champions 2016, 2020 and 2024 |
| #3 | Croatia | 4 | Olympic gold 2012, world champions 2024 |
| #4 | Italy | 10 | Pro Recco, men and women champions |
| #5 | Spain | 5 | World champions 2025, women’s Olympic gold 2024 |
| #6 | United States | 16 | Women’s dominance, 3 straight golds |
| #7 | Greece | 2 | Women world champions 2025 |
| #8 | Australia | 4 | First women’s Olympic champions |
| #9 | Montenegro | 0 | Fourth at three straight Olympics |
| #10 | Russia | 4 | Soviet golds, banned from international sport |
| #11 | Germany | 3 | Spandau 04, Berlin |
How We Ranked the Countries
We weighed Olympic and World Championship results for men and women, the strength of domestic leagues and European club success, and how deeply the sport is rooted in each country. Registered player counts are only available for a few federations, so they are used as context rather than as the ranking basis.
The medal figures come from the Olympedia all-time table, men and women combined, through Paris 2024. Olympedia does not merge defunct teams into their successors, so Serbia, Russia and Germany count only their own medals, while Yugoslavia, the Soviet Union and others are listed separately in the table.
#1 Hungary
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 9 gold, 3 silver, 5 bronze (men 16, women 1)
- 🌍 World titles: men in 1973, 2003, 2013, 2023
- 👥 Registered players: 6,628 in 2021 (academic study); the federation president cited about 10,000 in 2020
- 🏆 Gyarmati: Dezso Gyarmati won five Olympic medals
Hungary is the sport’s most successful Olympic nation, with 17 medals, nine of them gold, according to Olympedia. The men’s team won three straight Olympic titles in 2000, 2004 and 2008 and added world titles in 1973, 2003, 2013 and 2023. At Paris 2024 the team finished fourth, and in July 2025 it lost the world final to Spain.
Registered player figures vary: an academic study cites 6,628 players for 2021, while the federation president put it at about 10,000 in 2020. Ferencvaros won the men’s Champions League in 2023-24 and 2024-25, and Dezso Gyarmati, with five Olympic medals, is regarded as one of the greatest players ever.
#2 Serbia
- 🥇 Olympic medals as Serbia: 3 gold, 0 silver, 2 bronze
- ➕ Predecessors: Yugoslavia 7, Serbia and Montenegro 2
- 🏆 Paris 2024: gold, 13-11 over Croatia
- 🌍 Worlds: men in 2009, 2015
- 🏛️ Club: Partizan and Mladost 7 European titles each (Euroleague and Champions League)
Serbia won men’s Olympic gold in 2016, 2020 and 2024, beating Croatia 13-11 in the final in Paris, and took world titles in 2009 and 2015. Olympedia counts 5 medals for Serbia itself, but the country also inherits the traditions of Yugoslavia (7 medals) and Serbia and Montenegro (2).
In January 2026 the men beat Hungary 10-7 in the European final in Belgrade. Dusan Mandic and Nikola Jaksic each hold three Olympic golds, and Novi Beograd is among Europe’s leading clubs.
#3 Croatia
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 1 gold, 3 silver, 0 bronze
- 🌍 World titles: men in 2007, 2017, 2024
- 🥈 Paris 2024: silver after a 13-11 final loss to Serbia
- 🏛️ Club: Jug Dubrovnik, 4 European titles
Croatia won Olympic gold in London in 2012 and silver three times, most recently in Paris 2024, where it lost the final 13-11 to Serbia. The men also won three world titles, in 2007, 2017 and 2024.
The country’s water polo clubs are among the continent’s most historic. Jug Dubrovnik has won four European titles in the Euroleague and Champions League era.
#4 Italy
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 4 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze
- 🌍 World titles: men 4 (1978, 1994, 2011, 2019), women 2
- 🏛️ Pro Recco: 11 Champions League titles, 38 Italian titles
- 🥇 Gold in both: men in 1948, 1960 and 1992, women in 2004
Italy has 10 Olympic medals, four of them gold, and has won both the men’s and the women’s Olympic tournament. The men won gold in 1948, 1960 and 1992 and the women in 2004. The men’s team also has four world titles (1978, 1994, 2011, 2019).
Pro Recco, founded in 1913 in Recco and playing at the pool in Sori, has won 38 Italian championships and 21 European titles, including 11 in the Champions League.
#5 Spain
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 2 gold, 3 silver, 0 bronze
- 🌍 World titles: men in 1998, 2001, 2022, 2025
- 🥇 Paris 2024: women’s gold, 11-9 over Australia
- ⭐ Estiarte: Manuel Estiarte, six Olympics, gold in 1996
Spain won men’s Olympic gold in 1996 and women’s gold in Paris 2024, when the women beat Australia 11-9. The men beat Hungary 15-13 to take the 2025 world title in Singapore, their fourth, and Atletic-Barceloneta won the 2025-26 Champions League.
Manuel Estiarte, who won Olympic silver in 1992 and gold in 1996 across six Games, was the world player of the year for seven straight years from 1986 to 1992.
#6 United States
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 4 gold, 6 silver, 6 bronze
- 👩 Women: gold in 2012, 2016 and 2020; 8 world titles
- 👥 Members: nearly 50,000 (USA Water Polo, 2024)
- 🥉 Paris 2024: men won bronze; women missed the podium
The United States has 16 Olympic medals, second only to Hungary, and no country has been as dominant in the women’s game. The women won three straight Olympic titles in 2012, 2016 and 2020 and have won 8 world championships. In Paris 2024 they lost the bronze match 11-10 to the Netherlands and missed the podium for the first time.
The men took bronze at Paris, beating Hungary on penalties after an 8-8 draw. USA Water Polo’s CEO cited membership of nearly 50,000 in 2024.
#7 Greece
- 🥈 Olympic medals: 0 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze
- 🌍 World titles: women 2, including 2025
- 🥉 Men Worlds 2025: bronze in Singapore, 16-7 over Serbia
- 🏛️ Club: Olympiacos, 2 Champions League titles
Greece has two Olympic silver medals but is increasingly a top-table nation. At the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore the women won gold, and the men took bronze by beating Serbia 16-7.
Olympiacos has won the men’s Champions League twice.
#8 Australia
- 🥇 Olympic medals: 1 gold, 1 silver, 2 bronze
- 🌍 Women: beat the USA for gold at Sydney 2000, the first women’s Olympic tournament
- 🥈 Paris 2024: women’s silver
Australia won the first women’s Olympic water polo tournament at Sydney 2000, beating the United States for gold, after the Australian women had protested for inclusion in the Games. At Paris 2024 the women took silver, losing 11-9 to Spain.
Women’s medals account for all of Australia’s Olympic medals in the sport.
#9 Montenegro
- 🏅 Olympic best: fourth in 2008, 2012 and 2016
- 🏆 Europeans: gold in 2008
- 🌍 Worlds: silver in 2013
- 🏛️ Clubs: Jadran Herceg Novi, Primorac Kotor
Montenegro has never won an Olympic water polo medal but came fourth at the Games in 2008, 2012 and 2016. The men won the European title in 2008 in Malaga, and reached the world final in 2013.
Domestic clubs such as Jadran Herceg Novi and Primorac Kotor supply much of the national team.
#10 Russia
- 🥉 Olympic medals: 0 gold, 1 silver, 3 bronze as Russia
- ➕ Soviet Union: 2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze
- 🚫 Status: Russian teams have been excluded from most international events since 2022
Russia has 4 Olympic medals in its own name, and the Soviet Union won 7, including golds in 1972 and 1980. The women took bronze twice.
Russian national teams have been excluded from most international competitions since 2022, so the country is no longer a factor in current world rankings.
#11 Germany
- 🥈 Olympic medals: 1 gold, 2 silver, 0 bronze (1928 to 1936)
- 🏛️ Club: Spandau 04, 4 European Cup titles and German record champion
- ➕ West Germany: 1 bronze
Germany has 3 Olympic medals in water polo, all from 1928 to 1936. West Germany won one bronze.
The domestic scene is led by Spandau 04 from Berlin, which has four European Cup titles and is the German record champion.
Which Countries Are Best at Water Polo?
The Olympics are the clearest measure. This table lists the all-time Olympic medals, men and women combined, through Paris 2024 (Olympedia). Defunct teams are listed under their own names and not merged into their successors.
| Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hungary | 9 | 3 | 5 | 17 |
| United States | 4 | 6 | 6 | 16 |
| Italy | 4 | 3 | 3 | 10 |
| Yugoslavia (defunct) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 7 |
| Soviet Union (defunct) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
| Belgium | 0 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Serbia | 3 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Spain | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Great Britain | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Croatia | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Australia | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Other Countries Where Water Polo Is Growing
These countries sit outside the ranking but have won Olympic medals.
| Country | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | Four Olympic medals including women’s gold in 2008 and bronze in Paris 2024. |
| Great Britain | Won four golds, in 1900, 1908, 1912 and 1920, in the sport’s earliest decades. |
| France | Four Olympic medals, one gold and three bronze. |
| Belgium | Six Olympic medals, four silver and two bronze, all won before the Second World War. |
More About Water Polo
FAQ
Which country is best at water polo?
Hungary has the most Olympic medals, 17 in all, nine of them gold. The United States follows with 16, and Serbia has won the last three men’s Olympic titles.
Where was water polo invented?
It began as a swimming demonstration at fairs in mid-19th-century England and Scotland. William Wilson is believed to have written the first rules at Glasgow’s Arlington Baths Club.
When did water polo become an Olympic sport?
Men’s water polo has been Olympic since Paris 1900. Women’s water polo debuted at Sydney 2000, where Australia beat the United States for gold.
Who won water polo at the 2024 Olympics?
Serbia won the men’s tournament, beating Croatia 13-11, with the United States taking bronze. Spain won the women’s tournament, beating Australia 11-9, with the Netherlands in third.
Which country has won the most world titles?
In the men’s game Hungary, Italy and Spain have won four each. In the women’s game the United States leads with eight titles.
Is water polo popular in Europe?
Very. European teams have won every men’s Olympic tournament since 1908, and countries such as Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Italy and Spain have deep club traditions.
Who won the 2025 water polo world championships?
In Singapore, Spain won the men’s tournament, beating Hungary 15-13, and Greece won the women’s tournament.
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