This is a list of records and statistics of the men's water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships since the inaugural official edition in 1973.
Confederation statistics
Best performances by tournament
All-time best performances This is a summary of the best performances of each confederation at the World Aquatics Championships.
Legend * – Host team † – Defunct team
Confederation Best performance Men's team Africa – CANA 12th (2015, 2019, 2022) 4th (1975), (1986, 1991, 2009) Asia – AASF 9th (2022) Europe – LEN 1st (2007, 2017, 2024), (1973, 2003, 2013, 2023), (1978, 1994*, 2011, 2019), (2009, 2015), † (2005), † (1975, 1982), (1998, 2001, 2022, 2025), † (1986, 1991) Oceania – OSA 4th (1998*)
Team statistics
Debut of teams Legend * – Host team † – Defunct team
# Year Debuting teams Number Cumulative total Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania 1 1973 – , , – , , , , , , , , , , , 16 16 2 1975 – , – – 3 19 3 1978 – – – – – 0 19 4 1982 – 4 23 5 1986 – – – – 1 24 6 1991 – – – – 1 25 7 1994 – , – 4 29 8 1998 – – – , – 2 31 9 2001 – – – – 1 32 10 2003 – – – – – 0 32 # Year Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania Number Cumulative total 11 2005 – – – – – 0 32 12 2007 – – – – 1 33 13 2009 – – – , – 2 35 14 2011 – – – – – 0 35 15 2013 – – – – – 0 35 16 2015 – – – – 1 36 17 2017 – – – – – 0 36 18 2019 – – – – 1 37 19 2022 – – – – 1 38 20 2023 – – – – – 0 38 21 2024 – – – – – 0 38 22 2025 – – – – 1 39 Total 2 7 6 22 2
Results of host teams and defending finalists Legend † – Defunct team
# Year Host team Finish Defending champions Finish Defending runners-up Finish 1 1973 † 3rd of 16 teams 2 1975 16th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams † 1st of 16 teams 3 1978 † 7th of 16 teams † 4th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams 4 1982 Did not participate 9th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams 5 1986 5th of 15 teams † 3rd of 15 teams 9th of 15 teams 6 1991 8th of 16 teams † 1st of 16 teams 6th of 16 teams 7 1994 1st of 16 teams † Defunct 2nd of 16 teams 8 1998 4th of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 1st of 16 teams 9 2001 16th of 16 teams 1st of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 10 2003 5th of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams † 3rd of 16 teams 11 2005 13th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams 8th of 16 teams # Year Host team Finish Defending champions Finish Defending runners-up Finish 12 2007 10th of 16 teams † Defunct 2nd of 16 teams 13 2009 11th of 16 teams 3rd of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 14 2011 15th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 15 2013 5th of 16 teams 4th of 16 teams 7th of 16 teams 16 2015 14th of 16 teams 6th of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 17 2017 2nd of 16 teams 3rd of 16 teams 1st of 16 teams 18 2019 15th of 16 teams 3rd of 16 teams 4th of 16 teams 19 2022 7th of 16 teams 2nd of 16 teams 1st of 16 teams 20 2023 11th of 16 teams 3rd of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 21 2024 Did not participate 7th of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 22 2025 15th of 16 teams 5th of 16 teams 7th of 16 teams # Year Host team Finish Defending champions Finish Defending runners-up Finish
Comprehensive team results by tournament
Finishes in the top four
Medal table
Champions
Team records Teams having equal quantities in the tables below are ordered by the tournament the quantity was attained in (the teams that attained the quantity first are listed first). If the quantity was attained by more than one team in the same tournament, these teams are ordered alphabetically.
Tournament positions Most titles won 4, (1978, 1994, 2011, 2019); (1973, 2003, 2013, 2023); (1998, 2001, 2022, 2025). Most finishes in the top two 12, (1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2023, 2025). Most finishes in the top three 13, (1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1991, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2017, 2023, 2025). Most finishes in the top four 15, (1973, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1991, 1998, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2025). Most appearances 22, , , , (have participated in every tournament).
Consecutive Most consecutive medals 7, (2007–2009–2011–2013–2015–2017–2019). Most consecutive golds 2, (1986–1991); (1998–2001). Most consecutive silvers 3, (1975–1978–1982). Most consecutive bronzes 3, (2009–2011–2013). Most consecutive finishes in the top four 9, (2005–2007–2009–2011–2013–2015–2017–2019–2022). Most consecutive appearances 22, , , , (have participated in every tournament).
Gaps Longest gap between successive titles 30 years, (1973–2003). Longest gap between successive appearances in the top two 16 years, (1982–1998). Longest gap between successive appearances in the top three 10 years, (2005–2015); (2009–2019). Longest gap between successive appearances in the top four 18 years, (1991–2009). Longest gap between successive appearances 26 years, (1991–2017).
Host team Best finish by host team Champion: (1994).
Other Most finishes in the top two without ever being champion 1, (2013); (2023). Most finishes in the top three without ever being champion 5, (2005, 2015, 2022, 2023, 2025). Most finishes in the top four without ever being champion 7, (2003, 2005, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2025). Most finishes in the top four without ever being medaled 3, (1986, 1991, 2009).
Player statistics (C) Captain Apps Appearances Ref Reference Rk Rank L/R Handedness Pos Playing position FP Field player GK Goalkeeper
Multiple gold medalists
Multiple medalists
See also Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships List of World Aquatics Championships women's water polo tournament records and statistics List of world champions in men's water polo List of world champions in women's water polo List of World Aquatics Championships medalists in water polo List of men's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics List of women's Olympic water polo tournament records and statistics FINA Water Polo World Rankings List of water polo world medalists Major achievements in water polo by nation
Notes
References
Sources
External links FINA Water Polo website