World Aquatics has launched an official ranking system for national water polo teams. These new world rankings will track the performance of senior and junior national teams across both the men’s and women’s games.
Croatia has earned the No. 1 spot in the inaugural men’s rankings, while Spain top the first-ever women’s list—a reflection of their recent dominance at international level.
What Are the Rankings and Why Do They Matter?
This new system gives structure to international water polo like never before. It replaces informal seeding or continental rotation with a clear points-based system that rewards consistent performance across top-level competitions.
For national teams, this means:
- A transparent global ranking
- Qualification for major events based on performance
- Greater incentives to participate in more matches
- More commercial opportunities and media visibility
The rankings update after every official international tournament and cover:
- Senior Men
- Senior Women
- U20 Men
- U20 Women
How the Rankings Work (In Simple Terms)
Each game a team plays is worth points. The number of points depends on:
- Match result – Win or loss, and by how many goals
- Opponent strength – Beating a top team earns more points
- Competition level – Olympic Games count more than regional events
- Stage of tournament – Finals count more than early rounds
- Recency – Newer games are worth more than older ones (8-year cycle)
Points are calculated using a formula that combines:
- Rating Points (RP): Based on win/loss, opponent, venue
- Match Weight (MW): Based on time, competition importance, and round
Total Points = RP × MW (per match)
All a team’s match points are then added together to give their overall total.
Top Men’s Teams in the World (as of 11 June 2025)
| Rank | Country | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 28 | 1275.80 |
| 2 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 29 | 1265.40 |
| 3 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 28 | 1046.20 |
| 4 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 29 | 1025.80 |
| 5 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 26 | 992.40 |
| 6 | 🇺🇸 United States | 27 | 904.60 |
| 7 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 21 | 895.00 |
| 8 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | 28 | 622.40 |
| 9 | 🇫🇷 France | 23 | 553.20 |
| 10 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 18 | 517.85 |
| 11 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 14 | 461.80 |
| 12 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 18 | 391.40 |
| 13 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 13 | 368.55 |
| 14 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 23 | 368.20 |
| 15 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 14 | 347.80 |
| 16 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 14 | 317.25 |
| 17 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 14 | 299.20 |
| 18 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 14 | 287.25 |
| 19 | 🇨🇳 China | 11 | 251.00 |
| 20 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 12 | 201.00 |
| 21 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 13 | 200.55 |
| 22 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 10 | 186.60 |
| 23 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | 11 | 179.40 |
| 24 | 🇲🇹 Malta | 10 | 171.00 |
| 25 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 9 | 138.00 |
| 26 | 🇮🇷 Iran | 5 | 115.00 |
| 27 | 🇵🇦 Panama | 6 | 94.80 |
| 28 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | 5 | 84.00 |
| 28 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 5 | 84.00 |
| 30 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 5 | 78.00 |
| 31 | 🇨🇱 Chile | 7 | 73.35 |
| 32 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 8 | 73.20 |
| 33 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 4 | 68.40 |
| 34 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 5 | 64.00 |
| 35 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 5 | 58.00 |
| 36 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 4 | 53.20 |
| 37 | 🇵🇷 Puerto Rico | 6 | 49.20 |
| 38 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 4 | 47.20 |
| 39 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | 6 | 30.00 |
Top Women’s Teams in the World (as of 11 June 2025)
| Rank | Country | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇪🇸 Spain | 28 | 1309.80 |
| 2 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 29 | 1160.60 |
| 3 | 🇺🇸 United States | 32 | 1127.80 |
| 4 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | 29 | 991.20 |
| 5 | 🇬🇷 Greece | 29 | 958.80 |
| 6 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 23 | 866.80 |
| 7 | 🇮🇹 Italy | 28 | 759.20 |
| 8 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 21 | 498.20 |
| 9 | 🇨🇳 China | 18 | 419.80 |
| 10 | 🇫🇷 France | 21 | 419.00 |
| 11 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 18 | 372.40 |
| 12 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 18 | 304.00 |
| 13 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 11 | 240.80 |
| 14 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 8 | 238.20 |
| 15 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | 6 | 178.00 |
| 16 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | 10 | 172.60 |
| 16 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | 12 | 172.60 |
| 18 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 9 | 164.00 |
| 19 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 12 | 147.00 |
| 20 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 11 | 128.20 |
| 21 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | 13 | 127.65 |
| 22 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 9 | 120.00 |
| 23 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | 6 | 117.00 |
| 24 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | 13 | 107.70 |
| 25 | 🇷🇴 Romania | 5 | 99.00 |
| 26 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | 6 | 98.00 |
| 27 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | 5 | 84.00 |
| 28 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | 9 | 81.60 |
| 29 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 13 | 75.15 |
| 30 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 4 | 67.00 |
| 31 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | 6 | 38.70 |
| 32 | 🇵🇪 Peru | 6 | 25.20 |