After the Greek women’s team triumphed on Wednesday afternoon (July 24), the men’s national water polo team capped off a sensational day for Greek aquatic sports by securing the bronze medal at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, with a commanding 16-7 win over Serbia in the third-place match.

This marks yet another significant achievement for Greek water polo, as both the men’s and women’s teams return home with medals. It is the fifth World Championship medal in the history of the Greek men’s national team and the 17th overall for Greek water polo.

Game Recap: Greece Takes Over in the Second Period

The game began evenly, with Greece taking an early 1-0 lead through Papaknikolaou during a man-up situation. Serbia quickly equalized and the first quarter ended in a 2-2 tie — the only point in the game where the Serbs kept pace.

From that point on, Greece took control with an offensive blitz. A stunning 6-0 run in the second period blew the game wide open, giving Greece an 8-2 lead at halftime.

Dominance Continues After the Break

The Greek momentum carried into the second half, with the team extending their lead to 10-2. Serbia struggled to respond and never managed to close the gap. By the end of the third quarter, Greece was comfortably ahead 11-5, making a Serbian comeback almost impossible.

The final quarter was largely procedural, with Greece maintaining full control and adding to their lead. The match ended 16-7, sealing a dominant bronze-medal performance.

Quarter scores: 2–2, 6–0, 3–3, 5–2

Road to the Bronze

Serbia had entered the tournament strong, beating Romania and South Africa handily, before narrowly losing to Italy in a penalty shootout in the group stage. In the knockout rounds, they defeated Japan and the United States but fell just short against Hungary in the semifinal — a match they nearly turned around after trailing by five in the final period.

Historically, Serbia has been one of the dominant forces in world water polo, with two golds, a silver, and a bronze since 2007 (post-Montenegro split). However, Greece has had the upper hand in recent encounters. Since 2023, Greece has defeated Serbia three times, including a decisive 13-7 victory in the Fukuoka semifinals and a 15-11 win in Doha. Earlier this year, Greece also triumphed 17-13 in a World Cup qualifier — although Serbia played with an experimental lineup.

Looking Ahead

Later today, Spain and Hungary will battle for the gold at 16:35 local time. It’s their first World Championship final meeting since 1998 in Perth, where Spain prevailed 6-4. Both teams have enjoyed recent success, winning two of the last three World Championships. Hungary is tied with Italy for most titles (4), while Spain has now medaled in five straight tournaments. The final will also mark the retirement of Spanish legend Felipe Perrone.

A Bittersweet Flashback

This bronze somewhat avenges Greece’s painful 12-11 loss to Serbia at last year’s Olympic quarterfinals in Paris. That match ended with Nikola Jaksic scoring an extraordinary goal just seconds before the buzzer, crushing Greek hopes of a medal run. Considering how Serbia cruised past the U.S. and Croatia to claim gold afterward, it was a huge missed opportunity for the Greeks.

Today, however, the tables turned. Greece’s emphatic performance not only brought redemption but also reaffirmed their place among the world’s water polo elite.