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Greece wins first men’s water polo World Cup over Hungary

7/26/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Greece won its first major men’s water polo title by beating Hungary 15-14 in the World Cup final in Sydney.
Captain Stylianos Argyropoulos Kanakakis scored the winning goal with 12 seconds remaining.
Dimitris Skoumpakis recorded five goals, the tournament-high for Greece.
Hungary converted six of ten power-play chances and tied the game at 14-14 with 45 seconds left.

History

Historical Context

Guided by the Hellenic Swimming Federation, Greece’s men’s water polo team finished fourth at the 2004 Athens Olympics, narrowly missing a medal. Subsequent breakthroughs—World Championship bronzes in 2005, 2015, 2022 and 2025 and a silver at Tokyo 2020—show a steady rise that culminated in a 2026 World Cup gold, confirming Greece as a new European power.

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Story summary

Greece won its first major men’s water polo title by beating Hungary 15-14 in the World Cup final in Sydney.
Captain Stylianos Argyropoulos Kanakakis scored the winning goal with 12 seconds remaining.
Dimitris Skoumpakis recorded five goals, the tournament-high for Greece.
Hungary converted six of ten power-play chances and tied the game at 14-14 with 45 seconds left.

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