Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Both Great Britain and Spain have opened the tournament with two wins apiece. However, the British are not regarded as part of the global elite in women's water polo and now face a formidable test against last year’s World Championship bronze medallists in their third fixture.
Great Britain (women)
Great Britain currently sit 11th in the world rankings. That said, they have made a strong impression so far with confident victories over France (ranked 10th) and South Africa (ranked 18th). However, the team has had limited exposure at top-level competitions. Since 2016, they have not featured at the Olympic Games, and last year marked their return to the World Championship for the first time since 2013 — finishing 11th overall. Head-to-head history against Spain is also not in their favour, with just one win in five meetings, their only success coming back in 2014.
Spain (women)
Spain currently lead the world rankings. Since 2012, they have claimed Olympic medals on three occasions and took gold last year after a narrow 11:9 win over Australia in the final. Their World Championship record is equally impressive, with silver in 2023 and bronze in 2022. The Spaniards have cruised through the group stage so far, thrashing South Africa (23:4) and France (23:6). Since February 2024, they have suffered just three defeats in 19 matches — all against teams ranked in the world’s top four: the Netherlands and Hungary.
Great Britain (women) vs Spain (women) Prediction
Although Great Britain have made a promising start to the campaign, they are unlikely to mount a serious challenge against Spain. The Spaniards have overpowered every opponent so far, and this fixture is expected to follow a similar script.
