Croatia men's national water polo team
The Croatia men's national water polo team represents Croatia in international water polo competitions and is controlled by the Croatian Water Polo Federation. They have won gold medals in the Olympics, World and European Championships, FINA World League and Mediterranean Games, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. Overall Croatia won 33 medals at competitions.
It was the first Croatian national team to win a gold medal at the Olympics or World Games, the World and European Championships.
Croatia played their 800th game since gaining independence on 20 August 2022 and they won their 517th victory.[1]
History
After the independence of Croatia the national water polo team competed at its first tournament and also its first finals at 1993 Mediterranean Games, followed by the 1993 European Championships where Croatia won 5th place.
Croatia has since become Olympic champion (2012), triple World champion (2007, 2017, 2024) and European champion (2010). Croatia has also won eight other medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships and was fourth on six occasions. The team holds a record streak of winning 7 medals in a row at World Championships and has reached semi-finals in over 60% of appearances at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships altogether since 2017. Since the formation of national team Croatia has qualified for every big tournament. It is the first Croatian national team in any Olympic team sport that has won gold medals at all three big competitions. Croatia has also won World League (2012) and Mediterranean Games (2013). The only competition Croatia has yet to win is World Cup where the national team won silver medal in 2010.
The team has been awarded with Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport in 1996. So far two International Swimming Hall of Fame inductees have been members of Croatia national team – Perica Bukić as a player and Ratko Rudić as a coach.
Croatia played their 800 game since gaining independence on 20 August 2022. and they won their 517 victory which makes 64,62% of victories.[1]
Results
Medals
Updated after 2024 World Championships
| Competition | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Olympic Games | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| World Championship | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| World Cup | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| World League | 1 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| European Championship | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Europa Cup | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Summer Universuade | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Mediterranean Games | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 9 | 14 | 10 | 33 |
Champions Runners-up Third place Fourth place
Summer Olympics
| Year[2] | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Could not participate in qualification | ||||||||
| 1996 | Final | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 71 | 58 | +13 | |
| 2000 | Quarterfinal | 7th | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 68 | 56 | +12 |
| 2004 | Preliminary Round | 10th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 47 | 42 | +5 |
| 2008 | Quarterfinal | 6th | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 71 | 49 | +22 |
| 2012 | Final | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 73 | 42 | +31 | |
| 2016 | Final | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 66 | 62 | +4 | |
| 2020 | Quarterfinal | 5th | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 99 | 82 | +17 |
| 2024 | Final | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 88 | 86 | +2 | |
| Total | Qualified: 8/8 | 65 | 41 | 1 | 23 | 641 | 505 | +126 | |
Record against other teams at the Summer Olympics
| National team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 25 | +4 |
| China | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 4 | +12 |
| Egypt | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 1 | +11 |
| Germany | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | +8 |
| Greece | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 16 | +9 |
| Hungary | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 17 | −1 |
| Italy | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 35 | +10 |
| Kazakhstan | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 15 | +25 |
| Montenegro | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 20 | +6 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 7 | +4 |
| Romania | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 6 | +5 |
| Russia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 9 | −1 |
| Serbia | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 43 | 44 | −1 |
| Serbia and Montenegro | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 21 | −1 |
| Spain | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 30 | 34 | −4 |
| Ukraine | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | +8 |
| United States | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 45 | 42 | +3 |
| Total | 17 teams | ||||||
World Championships
|
Record against other teams at the World Championships
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World Cup
|
Record against other teams at the World Cup
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
World League
Wins/Defeats after penalty shootout counted as wins/defeats.
* marks instances of not qualifying for the super final due to "host rule".
| Year[2] | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | did not qualify for the Super Final | 12 | 2 | 0 | 10 | |
| 2003 | did not compete | |||||
| 2004 | ||||||
| 2005 | Group Round | 4th | 14 | 8 | 0 | 6 |
| 2006 * | did not qualify for the Super Final | 11 | 7 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2007 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | ||
| 2008 * | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2009 | Final | 12 | 9 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2010 | Semi-final | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2011 | Semi-final | 11 | 10 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2012 | Final | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 * | did not qualify for the Super Final | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | ||
| 2015 | Final | 14 | 12 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2016 | did not qualify for the Super Final | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2017 | Semi-final | 12 | 10 | 0 | 2 | |
| 2018 | Quarterfinal | 5th | 10 | 7 | 0 | 3 |
| 2019 | Final | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | |
| 2020 | did not qualify for the Super Final | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 2022 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | ||
| Total | Participated: 18/20 Qualified for the Super Final: 9/18 |
171 | 112 | 0 | 59 | |
European Championships
|
Record against other teams at the European Championships
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Europa Cup
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Final | 8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2019 | Final | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 | |
| Total | Participated: 2/2 Qualified for the Super Final: 2/2 |
15 | 12 | 0 | 3 | |
Mediterranean Games
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Final | |||||
| 1997 | Final | |||||
| 2001 | Preliminary Round | 5th | ||||
| 2005 | Semi-final | 4th | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2009 | Semi-final | 4th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2013 | Final | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | did not participate | |||||
| 2022 | ||||||
| Total | Participated: 6/8 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 5 | |
Team
Current squad
Roster for the 2026 Men's European Water Polo Championship.[4][5]
Head coach: Ivica Tucak
| Name | Date of birth | Pos. | Club |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marko Bijač (C) | 12 January 1991 | GK | VK Jadran Split |
| Rino Burić | 5 April 1997 | DF | Pro Recco |
| Loren Fatović | 16 November 1996 | CF | VK Jadran Split |
| Luka Lončar | 26 June 1987 | CF | HAVK Mladost |
| Franko Lazić | 25 February 1998 | W | HAVK Mladost |
| Luka Bukić | 30 April 1994 | W | HAVK Mladost |
| Ante Vukičević | 24 February 1993 | W | HAVK Mladost |
| Marko Žuvela | 22 December 2001 | DF | Jug AO Dubrovnik |
| Matias Biljaka | 20 January 1999 | DF | HAVK Mladost |
| Josip Vrlić | 25 April 1986 | CF | HAVK Mladost |
| Zvonimir Butić | 2 November 1998 | W | VK Jadran Split |
| Konstantin Kharkov | 23 February 1997 | W | HAVK Mladost |
| Ivan Marcelić | 23 February 1997 | GK | HAVK Mladost |
| Filip Kržič | 28 August 2000 | DF | Jug AO Dubrovnik |
Player statistics
| Player | Matches | Position | Active on Nat'l Team? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Igor Hinić | 417 | C | No |
| Tomislav Paškvalin | 285 | C | No |
| Samir Barać | 176 | PP | No |
| Andro Bušlje | 167 | HG | No |
| Teo Đogaš | 148 | PP | No |
| Frano Vićan | 129 | GK | No |
| Elvis Fatović | 128 | PP | No |
| Josip Pavić | 120 | GK | No |
| Damir Burić | 117 | HG | No |
| Miho Bošković | 108 | PP, HG | No |
| Sandro Sukno | 97 | PP | No |
| Petar Muslim | 90 | PP, SC | No |
| Maro Joković | 89 | PP | No |
| Nikša Dobud | 83 | C | No |
| Vjekoslav Kobešćak | 86 | PP | No |
| Ratko Štritof | 80 | HG | No |
| Ivan Buljubašić | 79 | HG | No |
| Paulo Obradović | 68 | PP, HG | No |
| Zdeslav Vrdoljak | 58 | PP | No |
| Anđelo Šetka | 57 | PP | No |
| Dubravko Šimenc | 52 | PP | No |
| Goran Volarević | 52 | GK | No |
| Frano Karač | 37 | PP | No |
| Tihomil Vranješ | 35 | PP | No |
| Pavo Marković | 33 | PP | No |
| Perica Bukić | 30 | PP | No |
| Antonio Petković | 22 | PP | No |
| Luka Lončar | 20 | C | Yes |
| Name | Goals | Average | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miho Bošković | 369 | 3.42 | PP, HG |
| Paulo Obradović | 197 | PP, HG | |
| Maro Joković | 158 | PP | |
| Samir Barać | 135 | 0.77 | PP |
| Igor Hinić | 113 | 0.27 | C |
| Petar Muslim | 100 | PP, SC | |
| Nikša Dobud | 86 | 1.02 | C |
Head coaches
- Duško Antunović (1991–1993)
- Bruno Silić (1993–1998)
- Neven Kovačević (1998–2001)
- Veselin Đuho (2002–2003)
- Zoran Roje (2003–2005)
- Ratko Rudić (2005–2012)
- Ivica Tucak (2012–)
Notable players
Naturalized players
Andrey Belofastov (Ukraine), Xavier García (Spain)[6] Konstantin Kharkov (Russia), Nikolay Bonev (Bulgaria)
Statistics
Record against other teams
As of 10 August 2024 after game against Hungary in Olympic Games 2024
NO FRIENDLY fixtures.
Wins/Defeats after penalty shootout counted as wins/defeats.
* includes games against Serbia and Montenegro / FR Yugoslavia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Biggest wins
double digit goal difference
| Olympic Games | World Championship | World Cup | World League | European Championship | Europa Cup | Mediterranean Games | Qualifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Biggest losses
| Olympic Games | World Championship | World Cup | World League | European Championship | Europa Cup | Mediterranean Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Non-senior competitions
World Youth Championship
|
World Junior Championship
|
European Youth Championship
* incorporated in the 1st European Games |
European Junior Championship
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Awards
- Croatian team of the year: 1999, 2017, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2017
See also
- Croatia men's Olympic water polo team records and statistics
- Yugoslavia men's national water polo team
- List of Olympic champions in men's water polo
- List of men's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics
- List of world champions in men's water polo
Notes
- ^ FINA Water Polo Player of the Year in 1982, 1984 and 1985. Scored 28 goals in one game which is a world record for water polo game (final score: Yugoslavia 62–0 Guatemala). First water polo player in history to sign a 6 digit contract.
References
- ^ a b "Pobjeda u jubilarnoj 800. utakmici Barakuda: Hrvatska trijumfom nad Francuzima otvorila turnir u Beogradu". Sportske novosti (in Croatian). Hanza Media. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
- ^ a b c d "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 4, 14, 25, 40, 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Qualification for the tournament was determined by placing in the 1992 Olympics tournament. Since the Croatian team had not participated in the 1992 Olympic water polo tournament due to the dissolution of Yugoslavia, it could not qualify for the 1993 World Cup.
- ^ "Tucak odredio 15 igrača za Europsko prvenstvo". sport.hrt.hr (in Croatian). Croatian Radiotelevision. 5 January 2025.
- ^ "Team Roster: Croatia" (PDF). ea.microplustimingservices.com. 9 January 2026. p. 1.
- ^ "Stigla potvrda iz MOO-a: Javier Garcia s Hrvatskom na Olimpijskim igrama u Riju". hrsport.net (in Croatian).
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Croatia men's national water polo team.
- Official website (in Croatian)