Croatia’s national water polo team, the Barakudas, have made a perfect start at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore.
With three straight wins, including a thrilling victory over Greece, they’ve secured direct qualification to the quarter-finals.
Led by coach Ivica Tucak and star goalkeeper Marko Bijač, the reigning world champions continue to impress on the global stage.
A strong start for the Barakudas in Singapore
The Croatian water polo team, popularly known as the Barakudas, have made an excellent start at the World Championship currently being held in Singapore. With three victories in their first three matches, they secured first place in Group D and qualified directly for the finals.
They began the tournament with a dominant win over China, followed by a hard-fought 11:9 victory against the tricky Montenegro, and finally edged out Greece by a single goal. In that match, our Barakudas didn’t start particularly well, but as the game progressed, they improved and ultimately triumphed 10:9. Of course, it had to be dramatic once again.
Star performances and team resilience
Once more, Marko Bijač was outstanding in goal — one of the best water polo goalkeepers in the world — while Zvonimir Butić and Marko Žuvela each scored twice. Croatia appears solid and confident, and even when trailing, gives the impression that they can claw their way back with increased pressure. So far, that has proven to be true.
“We’ve achieved our first goal – direct qualification to the quarter-finals in the toughest group of the championship. We weren’t at our best; we can do more. The biggest takeaway from this match is the good response both in defence and attack when facing a deficit. But, we haven’t yet done anything that truly matters to us here,” said Croatian head coach Ivica Tucak after the match.
A red card confusion and a sarcastic applause
This match also featured a curious incident. Namely, Tucak was mistakenly shown a red card after making a mild remark to the referee. Finding it unbelievable, he began to cross himself, and after half a minute the referee realised his mistake and instead issued a yellow card. Tucak, somewhat sarcastically, responded with a “bravo” and a thumbs up.
Now the water polo players will enjoy three days of rest before returning to the pool on Sunday for their quarter-final clash. They will face the winner of the match between Hungary and Romania, though given the strength of the teams, it’s expected to be Hungary. That encounter will undoubtedly be a spectacle, as we’re talking about a world powerhouse.
Eyeing the semi-finals and beyond
Should the Croatian team overcome that hurdle, they will most likely face the winner of the match between the USA and Serbia in the semi-finals. However, regardless of what happens next, the fact that Croatia topped their group continues a string of impressive results at recent world competitions.
One should not forget that the Barakudas are the reigning World Champions from the last tournament held in Doha, and they also won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The leadership and philosophy of Ivica Tucak
Much credit for this belongs to head coach Tucak, a native of Šibenik and, it should be mentioned, a Croatian war veteran who defended his hometown with a rifle on the front lines in 1991. Sports analysts highlight the results he has achieved, but also point out something even more significant.
“He’s created a culture around the national team, and the players genuinely enjoy playing,” they say. The coach particularly emphasises that there is no rushing in attack or individual play along the lines of “I’ll score now.” That is not characteristic of the Croatian team’s game, which builds attacks patiently and then finds the net.
“There is no ‘I’, only ‘we’. We score the goal, not me. That’s why I see room for improvement, and I’m sure it exists. What makes me happiest is knowing that the players can win matches even when we’re not at our best,” concluded Tucak.
Let us wish the Barakudas another medal.
