# Water polo at the 1978 World Aquatics Championships – Men's tournament

The 1978 Men's World Water Polo Championship was the third 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 19 to 27 August 1978, and was incorporated into the 1978 World Aquatics Championships in West Berlin, West Germany.

## Participating teams

| Americas | Europe | Oceania |
| Canada Cuba Mexico United States | Bulgaria Greece Hungary Italy Israel Netherlands Romania 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. | Soviet Union | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 9 | +8 |
| 2. | Italy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 12 | +3 |
| 3. | Australia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 18 | -4 |
| 4. | Canada | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 15 | -7 |
* 19 August 1978
| Soviet Union | 5 – 1 | Canada |
| Italy | 6 – 5 | Australia |
* 20 August 1978
| Soviet Union | 5 – 5 | Italy |
| Australia | 6 – 5 | Canada |
* 21 August 1978
| Italy | 4 – 2 | Canada |
| Soviet Union | 7 – 3 | Australia |

### Group B

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Romania | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 11 | +6 |
| 2. | United States | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 7 | +11 |
| 3. | Cuba | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 11 | -2 |
| 4. | Mexico | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 24 | -15 |
* 19 August 1978
| Romania | 10 – 5 | Mexico |
| United States | 5 – 2 | Cuba |
* 20 August 1978
| Romania | 3 – 2 | United States |
| Cuba | 3 – 2 | Mexico |
* 21 August 1978
| Romania | 4 – 4 | Cuba |
| United States | 11 – 2 | Mexico |

### Group C

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | West Germany | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 7 | +20 |
| 2. | Bulgaria | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 14 | -2 |
| 3. | Netherlands | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 12 | +2 |
| 4. | Israel | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 24 | -20 |
* 19 August 1978
| West Germany | 9 – 2 | Bulgaria |
| Netherlands | 7 – 1 | Israel |
* 20 August 1978
| Bulgaria | 4 – 3 | Netherlands |
| West Germany | 11 – 1 | Israel |
* 21 August 1978
| West Germany | 7 – 4 | Netherlands |
| Bulgaria | 6 – 2 | Israel |

### Group D

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 10 | +9 |
| 2. | Yugoslavia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 9 | +9 |
| 3. | Greece | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 22 | -11 |
| 4. | Spain | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 21 | -7 |
* 19 August 1978
| Greece | 6 – 5 | Spain |
| Hungary | 3 – 2 | Yugoslavia |
* 20 August 1978
| Hungary | 6 – 3 | Greece |
| Yugoslavia | 5 – 4 | Spain |
* 21 August 1978
| Yugoslavia | 11 – 2 | Greece |
| Hungary | 10 – 5 | Spain |

## Second round

* Qualified for places 1–4 in a round robin group. (Group L)
* 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. | Italy | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 26 | 18 | +8 |
| 2. | Soviet Union | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 12 | +12 |
| 3. | United States | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 25 | 13 | +12 |
| 4. | Romania | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 23 | -4 |
First round results apply.
* 22 August 1978
| United States | 3 – 2 | Soviet Union |
| Italy | 7 – 2 | Romania |
* 23 August 1978
| Italy | 4 – 4 | United States |
| Soviet Union | 5 – 0 | Romania |

### Group F

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Hungary | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 22 | +14 |
| 2. | Yugoslavia | 8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 15 | +17 |
| 3. | West Germany | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 17 | +19 |
| 4. | Bulgaria | 4 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 35 | -14 |
First round results apply.
* 22 August 1978
| Yugoslavia | 10 – 3 | Bulgaria |
| Hungary | 6 – 6 | West Germany |
* 23 August 1978
| Yugoslavia | 4 – 3 | West Germany |
| Hungary | 11 – 6 | Bulgaria |

### Group G

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Cuba | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 8 | +11 |
| 2. | Australia | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 18 | –3 |
| 3. | Mexico | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 12 | –1 |
| 4. | Canada | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 18 | –7 |
First round results apply.
* 22 August 1978
| Cuba | 8 – 3 | Canada |
| Australia | 6 – 5 | Mexico |
* 23 August 1978
| Mexico | 4 – 3 | Canada |
| Cuba | 8 – 3 | Australia |

### Group H

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Spain | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 12 | +12 |
| 2. | Greece | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 15 | +5 |
| 3. | Netherlands | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 18 | 13 | +5 |
| 4. | Israel | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 18 | –22 |
First round results apply.
* 22 August 1978
| Netherlands | 7 – 5 | Greece |
| Spain | 12 – 2 | Israel |
* 23 August 1978
| Greece | 9 – 3 | Israel |
| Spain | 7 – 4 | Netherlands |

## Final round
### 13th – 16th places (Group K)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 13. | Netherlands | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 8 | +9 |
| 14. | Canada | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 10 | +5 |
| 15. | Mexico | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 18 | 15 | +3 |
| 16. | Israel | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 21 | –17 |
* 25 August 1978
| Netherlands | 7 – 1 | Canada |
| Mexico | 10 – 2 | Israel |
* 26 August 1978
| Netherlands | 4 – 2 | Israel |
| Canada | 7 – 3 | Mexico |
* 27 August 1978
| Canada | 7 – 0 | Israel |
| Netherlands | 6 – 5 | Mexico |

### 9th – 12th places (Group J)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 9. | Australia | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 15 | +8 |
| 10. | Cuba | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 15 | +6 |
| 11. | Spain | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 19 | +3 |
| 12. | Greece | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 26 | –17 |
* 25 August 1978
| Australia | 8 – 7 | Spain |
| Cuba | 9 – 2 | Greece |
* 26 August 1978
| Spain | 9 – 5 | Greece |
| Australia | 7 – 6 | Cuba |
* 27 August 1978
| Cuba | 6 – 6 | Spain |
| Australia | 8 – 2 | Greece |

### 5th – 8th places (Group I)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 5. | United States | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | +14 |
| 6. | Romania | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 | 10 | +3 |
| 7. | West Germany | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 23 | 15 | +8 |
| 8. | Bulgaria | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 33 | –25 |
* 25 August 1978
| United States | 12 – 2 | Bulgaria |
| Romania | 6 – 5 | West Germany |
* 26 August 1978
| West Germany | 15 – 3 | Bulgaria |
| United States | 2 – 1 | Romania |
* 27 August 1978
| Romania | 6 – 3 | Bulgaria |
| United States | 6 – 3 | West Germany |

### 1st - 4th places Final standings (Group L)

| | Team | Points | G | W | D | L | GF | GA | Diff |
| 1. | Italy | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 13 | +2 |
| 2. | Hungary | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 11 | +2 |
| 3. | Yugoslavia | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 15 | -1 |
| 4. | Soviet Union | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 12 | 15 | -3 |
* 25 August 1978
| Hungary | 4 – 4 | Soviet Union |
| Italy | 6 – 5 | Yugoslavia |
* 26 August 1978
| Italy | 5 – 4 | Soviet Union |
| Hungary | 5 – 3 | Yugoslavia |
* 27 August 1978
| Yugoslavia | 5 – 4 | Soviet Union |
| Italy | 4 – 4 | Hungary |

## Final ranking

| RANK | TEAM |
| | Italy |
| | Hungary |
| | Yugoslavia |
| 4. | Soviet Union |
| 5. | United States |
| 6. | Romania |
| 7. | West Germany |
| 8. | Bulgaria |
| 9. | Australia |
| 10. | Cuba |
| 11. | Spain |
| 12. | Greece |
| 13. | Netherlands |
| 14. | Canada |
| 15. | Mexico |
| 16. | Israel |
* 1978 FINA Men's World champions
* Italy First title
* Team Roster
* Alberto Alberani, Silvio Baracchini, Romeo Collina, Gianni De Magistris, Massimo Fondelli, Marco Galli, Sante Marsili, Alessandro Ghibellini, Paolo Ragosa, Mario Scotti-Galletta, Rolando Simeoni Head coach: Gianni Lonzi

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Italy Alberto Alberani Silvio Baracchini Romeo Collina Gianni De Magistris Massimo Fondelli Marco Galli Alessandro Ghibellini Sante Marsili Paolo Ragosa Mario Scotti-Galletta Roldano Simeoni Head coach: Gianni Lonzi | Hungary Gábor Csapó Tamás Faragó Szilveszter Fekete György Gerendás György Horkai György Kenéz István Magas Endre Molnár József Somossy Attila Sudár István Szívós Jr. Head coach: Dezső Gyarmati | Yugoslavia Siniša Belamarić Mirsad Galijaš Zoran Gopčević Boško Lozica Predrag Manojlović Zoran Mustur Damir Polić Zoran Roje Slobodan Trifunović Luka Vezilić Predrag Vraneš Head coach: Miro Ćirković |