Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Hungary, the reigning World Champions from 2023, will face Romania, a team that has not placed higher than tenth in the tournament since 2011.
Romania
Romania produced a disappointing group stage campaign. They suffered a heavy defeat to Italy (5:17), comfortably overcame group outsiders South Africa (24:5), but were convincingly beaten by Serbia (9:19). Since the last World Championship, the Romanians have played 24 matches and failed to win on 18 occasions. Moreover, they have lost 12 consecutive matches against Hungary.
Hungary
Hungary navigated the group stage with confidence. The squad dismantled Australia (18:6), edged out Japan in a high-scoring clash (23:18), and narrowly lost to top seed Spain (9:10) after conceding in the final quarter. Since the start of the year, the Hungarians have suffered only three defeats in 11 matches—against strong opposition such as Spain and Greece—while dispatching weaker teams with ease.
Romania vs Hungary Prediction
Romania’s only group stage win came against South Africa, while they were clearly outclassed by stronger opponents. Hungary are expected to win convincingly, continuing their dominant form in this fixture.
