Golden Moment: Greece Wins Maiden Women’s Water Polo World Cup

Greece Women's Water Polo World Cup 2025 victory

The Greece team won the Women’s Water Polo World Cup for the first time ever.

Few had Greece on their radar as a potential winner after they finished third in the Division 1 Tournament in February and failed to earn a medal at the 2024 Olympics or the 2024 World Championships. But in Chengdu, the Balkan country quickly made its presence known, beginning with a 19–14 victory over Italy in the quarterfinals. They advanced to the semifinals and played the defending Olympic bronze medalist, the Netherlands. Greece pulled up a stunning comeback to defeat the Dutch women 15–13 after falling behind 6–9 in the first half.

Greece completed the deal by defeating Hungary 13-9 in the final, their first in a major international championship since they won silver at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Alexia Tzourka, a Greek goaltender, made an impressive 13 saves during this game.

This competition was a strong performance for the Hungarian women, who currently hold the silver medal at the World Championship. Spain appeared to be the team to beat going into the World Cup, and Hungary defeated them in the semifinals. Kamilla Farago scored five goals in the final score of 10–8, leading the Hungarians through this slight upset.

Spain fell to the Netherlands 8–10 in the bronze medal match after losing to Hungary, who would go on to win the silver medal. After winning gold at the 2024 Olympics and winning the Division 1 Tournament earlier in the year, the Spaniards were the clear favorites.

Italy, Greece, and Hungary all qualified for the 2025 World Championships. Singapore is currently home to all eight of the World Cup participating teams.