The Hungarian men’s water polo team stumbled at the gate of historic success, suffering a 15–13 defeat to Spain in the World Aquatics final on Thursday in Singapore.
Despite entering the fourth quarter with a one-goal lead, Zsolt Varga’s side could not withstand the Spanish onslaught and ultimately fell short. With the victory, Spain successfully defended its World Championship title.
The final held historical significance for Hungary: had the team secured the win, it would have become the undisputed king of water polo, claiming a record fifth World Championship title to complement its all-time record 13 European Championship titles and nine Olympic golds. With today’s victory, Spain joined Hungary and Italy as the teams with the most World Championship titles—four each.
Interestingly, the two teams had already faced off earlier in the tournament, a match that also ended in a Spanish victory—secured by a dominant 5–1 run in the final quarter.
The Hungarian men’s team had reached the final by defeating reigning Olympic champions Serbia 19–18 in a thrilling semi-final on Tuesday, while Spain secured its place with a 12–9 win over Greece. The two sides had also clashed earlier this year in the World Cup group stage in January, where Spain narrowly edged Hungary 12–11. Prior to that, Hungary triumphed over Spain in the 2020 European Championship final, winning in a shootout to claim its 13th continental title.
Historically, Hungary leads the all-time record between the two teams, with 12 wins, five losses, and one draw. However, in recent years, Spain has been gaining the upper hand, steadily asserting itself as a rising powerhouse in international water polo.
Only a day earlier, on Wednesday, the Hungarian women’s water polo team also fell in the final, losing 12–9 to Greece.
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