Montenegro are the new kings of European youth water polo.

In the final of the European Elite U18 Championships in Oradea, the Montenegrin boys defeated neighbors Serbia 13:9 to claim the gold medal.

It was a flawless campaign from start to finish. Montenegro finished the competition with a perfect 6–0 record – the only unbeaten team in Oradea – while every other nation suffered at least two defeats.

Greece joined them on the podium after edging Italy 12:11 in a thrilling bronze-medal match. Elsewhere, Spain took 5th place with a 10:7 win over Hungary, and Croatia overpowered France 16:7 to finish 7th.

Final: Montenegro – Serbia 13:9 (3:2, 4:2, 5:2, 1:3)

Six days earlier, Montenegro had only narrowly beaten Serbia 9:8 in the group stage. This time, there was no such suspense. The team coached by Nebojša Milić controlled the pace from the opening whistle, breaking away to a four-goal halftime lead (7:3).

A devastating 4:0 run in the third quarter – capped by goals from Strahinja Gojković and Miljan Bošković – broke the game wide open at 12:6. Serbia fought bravely in the fourth period, with Luigi Canepa scoring three straight goals to bring them back to 9:12, but Montenegro were never truly in danger. Ognjen Moračanin’s late strike sealed the final score.

Gojković, Bošković, and Danilo Stupar all scored hat-tricks, with Relja Vukanić adding two. Goalkeeper Marko Pejović was once again immense between the posts. Canepa finished as the top scorer of the final with six goals for Serbia.

This golden generation also provided the tournament’s biggest individual stars:

• Strahinja Gojković – Best Player (already capped for Montenegro’s senior team, and son of national coach Vladimir Gojković).
• Marko Pejović – Best Goalkeeper.

Bronze-medal game: Greece – Italy 12:11 (3:3, 4:3, 2:4, 2:2)

Italy had beaten Greece convincingly in the group stage (14:9), but in the medal match the Greeks turned the tables.

Inspired by Ilias Angelopoulos (six goals) and captain Chatzis (four goals, all in the third quarter), Greece overturned multiple deficits to take the bronze. Alessandrini scored three for Italy, but in the dying seconds Greece’s goalkeeper Berdes produced a decisive save to protect the one-goal lead.

5th place: Spain – Hungary 10:7 (2:1, 2:1, 3:3, 3:2)

Spain controlled proceedings throughout, led by Comabella (4 goals) and Sordo (3). Hungary fought hard but never managed to turn the tide.

7th place: Croatia – France 16:7 (5:2, 4:3, 5:0, 2:2)

Croatia recovered from a shaky start to dominate France. Maro Susić netted five goals and Dujmić four, as the Croats blew the game wide open with a 7:0 run in the third quarter.

Final Standings – Oradea Elite Division

1. Montenegro
2. Serbia
3. Greece
4. Italy
5. Spain
6. Hungary
7. Croatia
8. France
9. Malta
10. Germany
11. Netherlands
12. Poland
13. Turkiye
14. Romania
15. Georgia
16. Ukraine

Division 1 – Rio Maior

In Portugal, Israel celebrated the Division 1 crown after beating Belgium 12:9 in the final. Both finalists earned promotion to the Elite Division, replacing Georgia and Ukraine.

Final Standings:

1. Israel
2. Belgium
3. Bulgaria
4. Portugal
5. Moldova
6. Switzerland
7. Lithuania
8. Slovakia
9. Great Britain
10. Austria
11. Czech Republic
12. Denmark
13. Ireland

Roll of Honour – European Youth Champions

U18 Championships
1983 Istanbul – Hungary
1985 La Valetta – USSR
1987 Athens – Yugoslavia
1989 Istanbul – Hungary
1993 Veenendaal – Hungary
1995 Esslingen – Yugoslavia
1997 Maribor – Hungary
1999 Sofia – Croatia
2001 Hagen – Hungary
2003 Istanbul – Serbia & Montenegro
2005 Sofia – Serbia & Montenegro
2007 Gzira – Serbia
2025 Oradea – Montenegro

U17 Championships
2008 Belgrade – Hungary
2010 Stuttgart – Italy
2011 Rijeka – Croatia
2013 Gzira – Montenegro
2015 Baku – Serbia
2017 Gzira – Montenegro
2019 Tbilisi – Italy
2021 Gzira – Serbia
2023 Manisa – Greece

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