Zagreb, June 18 – The quarterfinals of the 2025 World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championships are now confirmed after a decisive day of eighth-final action in the Croatian capital. All eight quarterfinalists hail from Division 1, as none of the Division 2 sides advancing to the crossover round were able to cause an upset.
Italy, the United States, Greece, and Montenegro emerged victorious to join Hungary, Spain, Croatia, and Serbia in the final eight. With several matches expected to be tightly contested, anticipation is high ahead of Thursday’s quarterfinals.
Eighth-Finals Results (June 18)
Iran 5–23 USA
A routine win for the Americans, who dominated from the outset. Stanley led the scoring with four goals in a one-sided affair.
China 6–27 Greece
Greece was relentless, netting eight unanswered goals in the second quarter alone. Angelopoulos finished with six goals—matching China’s entire output.
Germany 10–11 Montenegro
The most competitive match of the day saw Montenegro narrowly edge out Germany in a tense European duel. Germany never led but fought back from a three-goal deficit in the final period. Ultimately, Montenegro held firm, with Matijasevic, Nikaljevic, and Perov scoring twice each. Hofmann registered a hat-trick for Germany.
Australia 6–17 Italy
Despite scoring the opening goal, Australia struggled to capitalise on man-up opportunities, converting just 3/15 extra-player chances. Italy took control with a dominant third quarter and finished with six power-play goals. Giacomone and Lo Re both netted four times, while goalkeeper Jacopo Rubini impressed with 11 saves in three quarters of play.
Quarterfinal Fixtures (June 19)
QF1: Hungary vs Italy (16:00 CET) QF2: Spain vs Montenegro (17:30 CET) QF3: Croatia vs Greece (19:00 CET) QF4: Serbia vs USA (20:30 CET)
Winners will advance to the semifinals on June 20.
Lower Classification: Singapore’s First Win, Canada Advances to 13th-Place Match
In the 13th–20th place bracket, Canada secured top spot in Group H and a place in the 13th-place match with a 15:11 win over Kazakhstan. Brazil, after defeating Argentina 14:8 in the South American derby, is on course to join them pending their result against Singapore.
Notably, Singapore earned their first win of the tournament with a dramatic 13:12 victory over New Zealand, clinching the game with just one second remaining.
Selected Results – Classification Rounds
Group G
Argentina 8–14 Brazil Singapore 13–12 New Zealand Standings: 1. Brazil 6 pts, 2. Argentina 3, 3. Singapore 3, 4. New Zealand 0
Group H
Colombia 21–8 South Africa Canada 15–11 Kazakhstan Standings: 1. Canada 6 pts, 2. Colombia 3, 3. Kazakhstan 3, 4. South Africa 0
The focus now shifts to the quarterfinals, where eight of the best teams in youth international water polo will battle for a place in the semifinals and a shot at the world title.
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