# Water polo at the 1986 World Aquatics Championships – Men's tournament

The 1986 Men's World Water Polo Championship was the fifth edition of the men's water polo tournament at the World Aquatics Championships, organised by the world governing body in aquatics, the FINA. The tournament was held from 13 to 23 August 1986, and was incorporated into the 1986 World Aquatics Championships in Madrid, Spain.
This was the only men's world championship to have featured fifteen teams instead of the usual sixteen. Yugoslavia won its first title by defeating Italy in the final. The Soviet Union, the defending champion, came third.

## Participating teams

| Americas | Europe | Oceania |
| Brazil Canada Cuba United States | France Greece Hungary Italy Israel Netherlands Soviet Union Spain West Germany Yugoslavia | Australia |

### Groups formed
## First round

* Qualified for places 1–8, separated in 2 round robin groups of 4 teams each. (Group E and F)
* Qualified for places 9–16, separated in 2 round robin groups of 4 teams each. (Group G and H)

### Group A

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Italy | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 20 | +4 |
| 2. | Spain | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 19 | +16 |
| 3. | Hungary | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 29 | 18 | +9 |
| 4. | Israel | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 44 | –29 |
* 14 August 1986
| Hungary | 16 – 2 | Israel |
| Italy | 8 – 7 | Spain |
* 15 August 1986
| Italy | 9 – 8 | Hungary |
| Spain | 21 – 6 | Israel |
* 16 August 1986
| Italy | 7 – 5 | Israel |
| Spain | 7 – 5 | Hungary |

### Group B

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Yugoslavia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 15 | +8 |
| 2. | Cuba | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 21 | +2 |
| 3. | Australia | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 24 | –10 |
* 14 August 1986
| Yugoslavia | 12 – 4 | Australia |
* 15 August 1986
| Cuba | 12 – 10 | Australia |
* 16 August 1986
| Yugoslavia | 11 – 11 | Cuba |

### Group C

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | West Germany | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 14 | +12 |
| 2. | France | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 20 | –2 |
| 3. | Canada | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 21 | –4 |
| 4. | Netherlands | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 21 | –6 |
* 14 August 1986
| West Germany | 8 – 3 | Canada |
| France | 5 – 4 | Netherlands |
* 15 August 1986
| Canada | 8 – 4 | Netherlands |
| West Germany | 10 – 4 | France |
* 16 August 1986
| France | 9 – 6 | Canada |
| West Germany | 8 – 7 | Netherlands |

### Group D

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | United States | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 17 | +21 |
| 2. | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 27 | +9 |
| 3. | Brazil | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 25 | 40 | –15 |
| 4. | Greece | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 34 | –15 |
* 14 August 1986
| Soviet Union | 16 – 10 | Brazil |
| United States | 13 – 3 | Greece |
* 15 August 1986
| United States | 15 – 6 | Brazil |
| Soviet Union | 12 – 7 | Greece |
* 16 August 1986
| United States | 10 – 8 | Soviet Union |
| Brazil | 9 – 9 | Greece |

## Second round

* Qualified for places 1–4 in a knockout system with 3rd place game.
* Will play for places 5–8 in a round robin group. (Group I)
* Will play for places 9–12 in a round robin group. (Group J)
* Will play for places 13–16 in a round robin group (Group K)

### Group E

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L. | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Yugoslavia | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 22 | +7 |
| 2. | Italy | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 22 | 22 | 0 |
| 3. | Cuba | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 30 | 31 | –1 |
| 4. | Spain | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 24 | 30 | –6 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* 18 August 1986
| Yugoslavia | 10 – 6 | Spain |
| Italy | 9 – 7 | Cuba |
* 19 August 1986
| Yugoslavia | 8 – 5 | Italy |
| Cuba | 12 – 11 | Spain |

### Group F

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | United States | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 23 | +3 |
| 2. | Soviet Union | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 22 | +8 |
| 3. | West Germany | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 23 | +4 |
| 4. | France | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 29 | –15 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* 18 August 1986
| Soviet Union | 13 – 4 | France |
| United States | 10 – 9 | West Germany |
* 19 August 1986
| United States | 6 – 6 | France |
| Soviet Union | 9 – 8 | West Germany |

### Group G

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 8 | +15 |
| 2. | Australia | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 8 | +9 |
| 3. | Israel | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 27 | –24 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* 18 August 1986
| Australia | 11 – 1 | Israel |
* 19 August 1986
| Hungary | 7 – 6 | Australia |

### Group H

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Greece | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 16 | +4 |
| 2. | Brazil | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 20 | +3 |
| 3. | Canada | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 19 | –3 |
| 4. | Netherlands | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 18 | –4 |
Preliminary round results apply.
* 18 August 1986
| Greece | 5 – 3 | Netherlands |
| Brazil | 9 – 4 | Canada |
* 19 August 1986
| Netherlands | 7 – 5 | Brazil |
| Greece | 6 – 4 | Canada |

## Final round
### 13th – 15th places (Group L)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 13. | Canada | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 12 | +4 |
| 14. | Netherlands | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 14 | –2 |
| 15. | Israel | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 16 | –2 |
Results of previous rounds apply.
* 21 August 1986
| Netherlands | 8 – 6 | Israel |
* 22 August 1986
| Canada | 8 – 8 | Israel |

### 9th – 12th places (Group K)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 9. | Hungary | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 25 | +4 |
| 10. | Australia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 16 | +11 |
| 11. | Greece | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 24 | 30 | –6 |
| 12. | Brazil | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 31 | –9 |
Results of previous rounds apply.
* 21 August 1986
| Hungary | 11 – 9 | Brazil |
| Australia | 10 – 5 | Greece |
* 22 August 1986
| Australia | 11 – 4 | Brazil |
| Hungary | 11 – 10 | Greece |

### 5th – 8th places (Group J)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 5. | Spain | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 24 | +13 |
| 6. | West Germany | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 27 | +2 |
| 7. | Cuba | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 27 | 29 | –2 |
| 8. | France | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 28 | –13 |
Results of previous rounds apply.
* 21 August 1986
| Spain | 15 – 8 | West Germany |
| Cuba | 7 – 7 | France |
* 22 August 1986
| Spain | 11 – 4 | France |
| West Germany | 11 – 8 | Cuba |

## Semifinals

| Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
| Yugoslavia | 9–8 | Soviet Union |
| Italy | 8–7 | United States |

## Bronze match

| Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
| Soviet Union | 8–6 | United States |

## Final

| Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 |
| Yugoslavia | 12–11 | Italy |

## Final ranking

| RANK | TEAM |
| | Yugoslavia |
| | Italy |
| | Soviet Union |
| 4. | United States |
| 5. | Spain |
| 6. | West Germany |
| 7. | Cuba |
| 8. | France |
| 9. | Hungary |
| 10. | Australia |
| 11. | Greece |
| 12. | Brazil |
| 13. | Canada |
| 14. | Netherlands |
| 15. | Israel |
* 1986 FINA Men's World champions
* Yugoslavia First title
* Team roster
* Dragan Andrić, Perica Bukić, Veselin Đuho, Milorad Krivokapić, Deni Lušić, Igor Milanović, Tomislav Paškvalin, Zoran Petrović, Andrija Popović, Dubravko Šimenc, Aleksandar Šoštar, Anto Vasović, Mirko Vičević. Head coach: Ratko Rudić

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Yugoslavia Dragan Andrić Perica Bukić Veselin Đuho Milorad Krivokapić Deni Lušić Igor Milanović Tomislav Paškvalin Zoran Petrović Andrija Popović Dubravko Šimenc Aleksandar Šoštar Anto Vasović Mirko Vičević Head coach: Ratko Rudić | Italy Gianni Averaimo Antonello Steardo Sandro Campagna Andrea Pisano Paolo Trapanese Massimiliano Ferretti Marco D'Altrui Paolo Caldarella Mario Fiorillo Ricardo Tempestini Francesco Porzio Stefano Postiglione Alfio Missagi Head coach: Federico "Fritz" Dennerlein | Soviet Union Serghei Marcoci Nikolai Smirnov Yevgeny Sharonov Nikolay Sharafeyev Mikhail Ivanov Sergey Kotenko Dmitry Apanasenko Viktor Berendyuha Pavel Prokopchuk Yevgeny Grishin Sergey Naumov Giorgi Mshvenieradze Nurlan Mendygaliyev Head coach: Aleksandr Kabanov |