Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Greece have not finished lower than fifth in any of the past three World Championships, while their upcoming opponents, Brazil, have never placed higher than 10th at the tournament.
Brazil
Brazil advanced confidently from the group stage, though the level of opposition was relatively modest. They recorded a 19:8 win over Singapore and edged past Canada in a penalty shootout (19:18) — both rivals sit outside the top 10 in world rankings. However, when facing stronger opposition, they were comprehensively defeated by the United States (7:16). Since the beginning of 2024, the squad has suffered five defeats in eight matches. Historically, they have struggled against Greece, losing all three previous meetings by a combined score of 16:47.
Greece
Currently ranked fourth in the world, Greece faced a challenging group stage campaign. They were narrowly beaten by both Montenegro and Croatia, each by a 9:10 scoreline, but recorded a commanding 26:5 victory over China. Despite the losses, the margins were slim and came against top-10 teams. Greece finished fifth at last year’s World Championships, following up silver in 2023 and bronze in 2022.
Brazil vs Greece Prediction
Greece have consistently proven their resilience against top-tier competition and tend to dominate matches against lower-ranked opponents. Brazil, currently positioned at the lower end of the top 10, are likely to fall into that second category. A comfortable win for Greece is expected, potentially by a margin of at least 11 points, securing their place in the quarter-finals.
