Recapping the major water polo tournaments, events, and stories from last year.
International Tournaments
2024 was a landmark year for international water polo, with thrilling tournaments showcasing elite competition.
🇪🇺 European Championships, Croatia
Men: 🥇Spain, 🥈Croatia, 🥉Italy
Women: 🥇Netherlands, 🥈Spain, 🥉Greece
🌎 World Aquatics Championships, Doha
Men: 🥇Croatia, 🥈Italy, 🥉Spain
Women: 🥇USA, 🥈Hungary, 🥉Spain
🗼 2024 Olympics, France
Men: 🥇Serbia, 🥈Croatia, 🥉USA
Women: 🥇Spain, 🥈Australia, 🥉Netherlands
Read the 2024 Water Polo at the Olympic’s Recap article for more information and data analysis.
National Leagues
These leagues represent some of the top water polo clubs in their respective countries and regions.
LEN Champions League, Europe
Men: Hungary’s FTC-Telekom triumphed over the prestigious Pro Recco, ending their three-year championship streak.
Women: Astralpool Sabadell won their second title by defeating Olympiacos.
AWL, Australia
Men: Drummoyne Devils won their first championship.
Women: Griffith Uni Queensland Thunder won their 8th championship.
NCAA, USA
Men: UCLA claimed their 13th NCAA championship by defeating rival USC 11-8.
Women: UCLA defeated Cal to earn their 8th national title.
Players of the Year
Total Water Polo Player Award Winners
Serbia’s DuÅ¡an Mandić and Spain’s Bea Ortiz earned the most votes from a panel of judges to be recognized as the top athletes of the year.
Other players that had exceptional performances in 2024:
- Driver Alvaro Granados (Spain)
- Center Forward Ben Hallock (USA)
- Goalkeeper Gabriella Palm (Australia)
- Lefty Simone van de Kraats (Netherlands)
5 Water Polo Headlines from 2024
Water Polo Rule Changes
2024 started off with a major new rule allowing players to be inside the 2M line without the ball if they were outside of the goal box. This allowed players to get closer to the goal, creating more scoring opportunities.
The year ended with additional rule changes, reducing the pool size for mens competitions from 30M to 25M. These rules also reduced the shot clock to 25 seconds. It’ll be interesting to see how these new rules impact water polo at the highest levels.
VAR, goals crossing the line, controversies
Increased use of VAR led to heated debates, particularly around brutality decisions, adding drama to international tournaments.
Flavor Flav sponsors USA Women’s Team
Flavor Flav is now the official hype man for USA Water Polo, pumping up the teams at events and using his social media to promote the sport.
He also chipped in financially to support the 2024 USA Women’s Water Polo Olympic Team. It all started when water polo legend Maggie Steffens posted a call for support on Instagram, and Flav answered in a big way, signing a five-year sponsorship deal.
USA Water Polo hired a new CEO
Jamie Davis, formerly the CEO of USA Volleyball, plans to bring his extensive expertise in Olympic sports, leadership, and innovation to USA Water Polo after growing volleyball memberships.
He’ll aim to form key partnerships and develop new revenue streams, setting a strong precedent for success.
Fordham’s Historic Run
Fordham University had a historic season, making it to the NCAA Final Four after an incredible undefeated run before a narrow overtime loss to USC in the semifinals. Along the way, they became the first Fordham sports program ever to achieve a #1 national ranking.
What’s Ahead for 2025?
With new rules and growing global interest, water polo fans can expect even more thrilling action in the upcoming year. Watch the Water Polo World Cup to catch the first games of the year. The tournament will be taking place in Bucharest, Romania and can be streamed at World Aquatics.
