Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Water Polo World Championship match.
Both teams have exceeded expectations compared to their previous World Championship performances. Serbia finished eighth at the 2024 tournament, while Hungary secured seventh place. In head-to-head encounters, the Hungarians hold a slight edge, having beaten the Serbs at last year’s Olympic Games.
Serbia
Serbia have delivered a strong showing at the World Championships, suffering just one defeat — a narrow penalty shootout loss to Italy (16:17). In all other matches, the squad claimed convincing victories with relative ease. However, challenges remain when facing teams ranked in the global top three — just three wins in 11 matches since 2024. Against Hungary, Serbia have recorded only two victories in their last five meetings, with just one of those secured in regulation time.
Hungary
Hungary advanced confidently through the group stage, with their only loss coming in a tight contest against world number one Spain (9:10). In the knockout round, they brushed aside Romania with ease (15:11) before producing a commanding display against top-ranked Croatia (18:12). In 2024, the Hungarians have suffered only three defeats in 13 matches — two of which came against Spain, who are in strong contention for the top spot in the world rankings.
Serbia vs Hungary Prediction
Having already eliminated Croatia in this tournament, Hungary are well-placed to overcome Serbia, who have benefited from a favourable path to the semi-finals. While the match is expected to be closely fought, Hungary are favoured to prevail.
