Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships is an international water polo tournament held every two years as part of the FINA World Aquatics Championships. The reigning champions are Spain in men's and the United States in women's competition.
Water polo has been part of the Summer Olympics program since the second games, in 1900. A women's water polo tournament was introduced for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Hungary has been the most successful country in men's tournament, while the United States is the only team to win multiple times at the women's tournament since its introduction. Italy is the first and only country to win both the men's and women's water polo tournaments.
The Croatia men's national water polo team represents Croatia in international water polo competitions and is controlled by the Croatian Water Polo Federation. They have won gold medals in the Olympics, World and European Championships, FINA World League and Mediterranean Games, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. Overall Croatia won 28 medals at competitions.
The Australian national water polo team represents Australia in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Water Polo Australia. The national men's team has the nickname of "The Sharks". It is organised into the Asia/Oceania regional group.
The Australia national women's water polo team represents Australia in women's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Water Polo Australia. It was one of the most successful women's water polo teams in the world. It is currently organised into the Asia/Oceania regional group.
Dezső Gyarmati was a Hungarian water polo player and three-time Olympic champion; he later became the coach of the Hungarian national water polo team. Widely regarded as a "legendary player", Gyarmati was the most decorated player in the history of the sport.
The United States women's national water polo team represents the United States in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is one of the leading teams in the world since the late 1990s.
The Italy women's national water polo team represents Italy in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches. The team is one of the leading teams in Europe since the mid-1990s, claiming the title at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The squad is nicknamed the Setterosa.
The Russia women's national water polo team represents Russia in international women's water polo competitions and friendly matches.
The Hungary men's national water polo team represents Hungary in international men's water polo competitions and is controlled by the Hungarian Water Polo Association. It is considered the world's top power in the history of water polo, having won 16 Olympic, 11 World Championship, 10 FINA World Cup, eight FINA World League, 24 European Championship and 16 Summer Universiade medals for a total of 88.
The Greece men's national water polo team represents Greece in international men's water polo competitions and it is organized and run by the Hellenic Swimming Federation.
The Germany national water polo team represents Germany in international men's water polo competitions and friendly matches. It is controlled by German Swimming Federation.
The Italian national water polo team represents Italy in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Federnuoto. The national men's team has the nickname of "Settebello", a reference to both the Italian card game scopa and a standard water polo team having seven players.
The Russia men's national water polo team is the representative for Russia in international men's water polo. The team is a successor of the Soviet water polo team.
The France men's national water polo team is the representative for France in international men's water polo.
This article presents the national team appearances in the men's Olympic water polo tournament since the inaugural official edition in 1900.
This article lists various water polo records and statistics in relation to the Soviet Union men's national water polo team and the Unified Team men's national water polo team at the Summer Olympics.
(1972, 1980)
