Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Montenegro have consistently been one of the more competitive sides on the international water polo stage, securing fourth place three times at the Olympic Games since 2008. At the last three World Championships, they have finished in eighth place each time. In this fixture, they face Canada, who have taken part in only one World Championship since 2019, finishing 12th.
Canada
Canada narrowly advanced from the group stage with just a single victory—against Singapore (22:10), currently ranked 38th in the world. In their other group fixtures, the squad suffered a heavy defeat to the United States (9:18) and lost to Brazil on penalties (18:19), with Brazil ranked 10th globally. Their recent form has been disappointing, with only five wins in 24 matches since March 2022. Most of those victories came during the Pan American Games two years ago, a tournament generally viewed as less competitive than the World Championship.
Montenegro
Montenegro have been impressive at this year’s World Championship, showing strong performances across all matches. They produced a surprise win over Greece (10:9), challenged Croatia in a closely contested match (11:13), and secured a comfortable victory against China (13:8). Both Greece and Croatia are currently ranked among the top four national teams worldwide. Canada are not on that level, and Montenegro have a strong record in head-to-head meetings—winning five of their six previous encounters, with one match drawn.
Canada vs Montenegro Prediction
Montenegro are operating at a significantly higher level than Canada. Having already defeated one of the tournament favourites, they are expected to progress past Canada with relative ease. The disparity in experience and quality at major international events is clear, and Montenegro should not face much resistance here.
