Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
At last year's World Aquatics Championships, Greece finished fifth. This year, they have already bettered that performance. However, they now face Spain, who defeated them in the World Cup final in April 2025 and have consistently outperformed them in recent head-to-head matchups.
Greece
Greece endured a difficult group stage but have shown marked improvement in the knockout rounds, recording emphatic wins over Brazil (17:5) and Italy (17:11). However, they have struggled against elite opposition, narrowly losing to Montenegro (9:10) and Croatia (9:10) during the group phase. Since the beginning of 2024, the Greeks have picked up just three wins in ten matches against the current top three ranked teams globally — Croatia, Spain, and Hungary. Their recent form against Spain is particularly concerning, with four losses in their last five meetings, each by a margin of at least two goals.
Spain
Spain have suffered just one defeat in 2025, a narrow 11:12 loss to Hungary. They are currently on a 12-match winning run, which includes six victories over sides ranked in the world’s top five. Their campaign at the World Aquatics Championships has been convincing so far, and they booked their place in the semi-finals after edging out Hungary in a tightly contested quarter-finals (10:9), overturning the deficit with a dominant 5:1 fourth quarter.
Greece vs Spain Prediction
Spain already proved superior to Greece in April’s World Cup final. With a place in the final on the line and facing an opponent they have consistently outclassed, this is another strong opportunity for Spain to assert their dominance. A win by at least two goals seems the most likely outcome.
