According to the first official World Aquatics Ranking, the Croatian men’s national water polo team is ranked number one in the world among all national teams!
– Croatia is the only team to have reached the finals of the European Championship, World Championship and the Olympic Games all in the same year.
Meanwhile, the women’s senior team is currently ranked 16th, and our junior teams are among the top 5 in both men’s and women’s categories. – the Croatian Water Polo Federation announced the news on their official Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/hvs.hr
Croatia Tops the World in Water Polo – Number 1 in World Aquatics Ranking!
Fantastic news has arrived for Croatian sport and water polo from the International Federation for aquatic sports – World Aquatics.
In its newly launched global ranking of national water polo teams – introduced officially in 2025 – Croatia has taken the number one spot!
This ranking system is similar to FIFA’s world rankings in football. It was introduced at the start of the year. The ranking is based on a detailed points system that considers the result of each match (win or loss). It also considers the opponent’s ranking at the time. Additionally, it includes whether the game was played at home, away, or on neutral ground, as well as the level of the competition. The most points are awarded for Olympic Games and World Championships. Following those are continental championships and World Cup matches, down to friendlies.
The ranking includes all matches played since January 2024. This includes the European Championship held in Dubrovnik and Zagreb, the World Championship in Doha, and the Olympic Games in Paris. The first official table was released in early June 2025.
Based on these results, Croatia tops the list with 1,275.80 points from 28 matches. They are just ahead of Spain, which has 1,265.40 points from 29 matches.
Top 10 – World Aquatics Rankings:
- Croatia – 1,275.80 pts (28 matches)
- Spain – 1,265.40 pts (29 matches)
- Hungary – 1,046.20 pts (28 matches)
- Greece – 1,025.80 pts (29 matches)
- Serbia – 992.40 pts (26 matches)
- USA – 904.60 pts (27 matches)
- Italy – 895.00 pts (21 matches)
- Montenegro – 622.40 pts (28 matches)
- France – 553.20 pts (23 matches)
- Brazil – 517.85 pts (18 matches)
The Croatian team – popularly known as the Barakude (Barracudas) – had an incredible season:
Silver at the European Championship
Gold at the World Championship in Doha
Silver at the Olympic Games in Paris
They were the only team in the world to reach all three major finals within just six months!
In 2025, they also placed fourth in the World Cup, further solidifying their position at the top of the global rankings.
Interestingly, despite playing one match fewer than Spain, Croatia still leads with 10.40 points more. Italy played the fewest matches (21) among the top 10, due to a six-month suspension after the Olympic Games.
Without a doubt, this recognition by World Aquatics is not only a reward for outstanding results. It is also a powerful motivation for Croatian water polo to continue its global dominance.
Stay up to date with upcoming matches and preparations for the next World Championship:
https://hvs.hr/savez/hrvatski-vaterpolo-savez/o-nama/
Photos: Official Facebook post: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1AzXma1gMV/