# Water polo at the 1972 Summer Olympics

Final results for the water polo competition at the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich.

## Qualification

| Event | Dates | Hosts | Quotas | Qualified Teams |
| Host Nation | 26 April 1966 | Rome | 1 | West Germany |
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 14-26 October 1968 | Mexico City | 5 | Yugoslavia |
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 14-26 October 1968 | Mexico City | 5 | Soviet Union |
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 14-26 October 1968 | Mexico City | 5 | Hungary |
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 14-26 October 1968 | Mexico City | 5 | Italy |
| 1968 Summer Olympics | 14-26 October 1968 | Mexico City | 5 | United States |
| 1971 Pan American Games | 26 July - 1 August 1971 | Cali | 3 | Cuba |
| 1971 Pan American Games | 26 July - 1 August 1971 | Cali | 3 | Mexico |
| 1971 Pan American Games | 26 July - 1 August 1971 | Cali | 3 | Brazil  Canada |
| European Qualifier | 14-20 May 1972 | Munich | 4 | Romania |
| European Qualifier | 14-20 May 1972 | Munich | 4 | Spain |
| European Qualifier | 14-20 May 1972 | Munich | 4 | Bulgaria |
| European Qualifier | 14-20 May 1972 | Munich | 4 | Greece |
| Oceania Qualifier | | | 1 | Australia |
| Asian Qualifier | | | 1 | Japan |
| Reallocation | | | 1 | Netherlands |
| Total | | | 16 | |

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Soviet Union Anatoli Akimov Aleksei Barkalov Vadim Gulyaev Aleksandr Dolgushin Aleksandr Dreval Vladimir Shmudski Aleksandr Kabanov Leonid Osipov Viacheslav Sobtschenko Nikolai Melnikov Aleksandr Schidlovski | Hungary András Bodnár Tibor Cservenyák István Görgényi Tamás Faragó Zoltán Kásás Ferenc Konrád István Magas Dénes Pócsik László Sárosi Endre Molnár István Szívós, Jr. | United States Peter Asch Steven Barnett Bruce Bradley Stanley Cole James Ferguson Eric Lindroth John Parker Gary Sheerer James Slatton Russell Webb Barry Weitzenberg |

## Preliminary round
### Pool A

| Nation | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| United States | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 18 |
| Yugoslavia | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 35 | 24 |
| Cuba | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 23 |
| Romania | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 26 |
| Mexico | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 30 |
| Canada | 5 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 50 |
| | 27 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Yugoslavia | 12-4 | Canada | 3-1 | 4-1 | 3-1 | 2-1 |
| Mexico | 4-6 | Cuba | 1-2 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 2-2 |
| Romania | 3-4 | United States | 0-1 | 1-2 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| | 28 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| United States | 7-6 | Cuba | 1-1 | 1-0 | 2-1 | 3-4 |
| Mexico | 7-3 | Canada | 2-1 | 0-1 | 1-0 | 4-1 |
| Romania | 7-8 | Yugoslavia | 3-2 | 2-1 | 2-2 | 0-3 |
| | 29 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| United States | 8-1 | Canada | 2-0 | 3-0 | 1-0 | 2-1 |
| Mexico | 3-5 | Yugoslavia | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1-3 | 1-0 |
| Romania | 3-4 | Cuba | 0-2 | 2-1 | 0-1 | 1-0 |
| | 30 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Yugoslavia | 7-5 | Cuba | 0-2 | 3-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Romania | 16-4 | Canada | 1-1 | 6-1 | 5-1 | 4-1 |
| Mexico | 5-7 | United States | 1-1 | 1-4 | 1-1 | 2-1 |
| | 31 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Cuba | 7-2 | Canada | 2-0 | 2-0 | 1-2 | 2-0 |
| Yugoslavia | 3-5 | United States | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| Romania | 9-6 | Mexico | 2-2 | 3-1 | 2-0 | 2-3 |

### Pool B

| Nation | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| Hungary | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 22 | 6 |
| West Germany | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 13 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 14 | 11 |
| Australia | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
| Greece | 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 27 |
| | 27 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Hungary | 3-0 | Netherlands | 0-0 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Greece | 7-7 | Australia | 3-3 | 2-1 | 1-2 | 1-1 |
| | 28 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Australia | 2-4 | Netherlands | 1-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1-3 |
| West Germany | 3-3 | Hungary | 1-0 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 2-0 |
| | 29 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| West Germany | 4-4 | Netherlands | 2-1 | 1-0 | 0-1 | 1-2 |
| Greece | 1-6 | Hungary | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1-1 |
| | 30 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Australia | 2-10 | Hungary | 0-3 | 1-2 | 0-3 | 1-2 |
| West Germany | 8-3 | Greece | 3-1 | 3-1 | 1-1 | 1-0 |
| | 31 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| West Germany | 6-3 | Australia | 1-1 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 2-2 |
| Greece | 2-6 | Netherlands | 1-0 | 0-2 | 1-3 | 0-1 |

### Pool C

| Nation | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| Soviet Union | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 9 |
| Italy | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 16 |
| Spain | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 19 | 22 |
| Bulgaria | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 25 |
| Japan | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 36 |
| | 28 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Spain | 6-4 | Japan | 2-1 | 1-2 | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Italy | 1-4 | Soviet Union | 1-0 | 0-2 | 0-2 | 0-0 |
| | 28 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Soviet Union | 11-1 | Japan | 1-0 | 4-1 | 3-0 | 3-0 |
| Italy | 8-5 | Bulgaria | 3-1 | 3-2 | 2-1 | 0-1 |
| | 29 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Soviet Union | 7-2 | Bulgaria | 2-0 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
| Italy | 6-2 | Spain | 1-0 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 3-0 |
| | 30 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Bulgaria | 7-4 | Japan | 3-1 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 2-1 |
| Spain | 5-8 | Soviet Union | 0-1 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 2-3 |
| | 31 August | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Italy | 12-5 | Japan | 4-1 | 3-0 | 1-1 | 4-3 |
| Spain | 6-4 | Bulgaria | 0-0 | 2-1 | 2-1 | 2-2 |

## Final round
### Group II (Classification 7th – 12th)

| Pos. | Nation | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 7 | Netherlands | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 20 |
| 8 | Romania | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 19 |
| 9 | Cuba | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 24 | 23 |
| 10 | Spain | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 26 |
| 11 | Bulgaria | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 17 | 23 |
| 12 | Australia | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 27 |
| | 1 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Romania | 7-4 | Spain | 1-2 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 4-2 |
| Netherlands | 5-2 | Bulgaria | 1-0 | 0-1 | 2-1 | 2-0 |
| Cuba | 6-5 | Australia | 1-1 | 3-2 | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| | 2 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Romania | 4-3 | Bulgaria | 2-2 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 0-1 |
| Australia | 4-8 | Spain | 0-1 | 2-1 | 1-3 | 1-3 |
| Cuba | 6-8 | Netherlands | 2-1 | 2-5 | 0-2 | 2-0 |
| | 3 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Australia | 4-4 | Bulgaria | 2-2 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 |
| Romania | 5-5 | Netherlands | 2-2 | 1-2 | 0-1 | 2-0 |
| Cuba | 4-3 | Spain | 2-1 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| | 4 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Cuba | 4-4 | Bulgaria | 0-0 | 2-3 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Romania | 5-3 | Australia | 1-1 | 2-1 | 1-0 | 1-1 |
| Netherlands | 7-5 | Spain | 0-1 | 3-0 | 2-2 | 2-2 |

#### Results taken from Preliminary Round

| | | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Cuba | 4-3 | Romania | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? |
| Netherlands | 4-2 | Australia | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? |
| Spain | 6-4 | Bulgaria | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? |

### Group I (Classification Gold – 6th)

| Pos. | Nation | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
| 1 | Soviet Union | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 22 | 16 |
| 2 | Hungary | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 18 |
| 3 | United States | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 23 |
| 4 | West Germany | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 15 | 18 |
| 5 | Yugoslavia | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 20 | 24 |
| 6 | Italy | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 21 | 26 |
| | 1 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Hungary | 8-7 | Italy | 1-0 | 2-1 | 3-4 | 2-2 |
| United States | 4-4 | West Germany | 3-1 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-2 |
| Yugoslavia | 4-5 | Soviet Union | 1-2 | 0-2 | 2-0 | 1-1 |
| | 2 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Yugoslavia | 6-6 | Italy | 2-2 | 2-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| West Germany | 2-4 | Soviet Union | 1:1 | 1:3 | 0:0 | 0:0 |
| United States | 3-5 | Hungary | 0-0 | 1-2 | 2-2 | 0-1 |
| | 3 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| West Germany | 2-2 | Italy | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 1-0 |
| Yugoslavia | 2-4 | Hungary | 0-1 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 1-1 |
| United States | 6-6 | Soviet Union | 0-1 | 3-1 | 2-2 | 1-2 |
| | 4 September | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| Yugoslavia | 5-4 | West Germany | 3-0 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1-2 |
| United States | 6-5 | Italy | 2-1 | 1-1 | 2-1 | 1-2 |
| Hungary | 3-3 | Soviet Union | 2-1 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 |

#### Results taken from Preliminary Round

| | | | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| United States | 5-3 | Yugoslavia | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? |
| Soviet Union | 4-1 | Italy | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? | ?-? |
| West Germany | 3-3 | Hungary | 0-1 | 1-0 | 0-2 | 2-0 |

## Final ranking
### Top goalscorers

| Rank | Name | Goals |
| 1 | Carlos Sanchez | 18 |
| 2 | Bruce Bradley | 17 |
| 3 | Mart Bras | 16 |
| 3 | Juan Janac | 16 |
| 5 | Eraldo Pizzo | 12 |
| 5 | Gheorghe Zamfirescu | 12 |
| 5 | Les Nunn | 12 |
| 8 | Aleksandr Dreval | 11 |
| 8 | Ingulf Nossek | 11 |
| 8 | Gianni De Magistris | 11 |
| 8 | Toma Tomov | 11 |
| 8 | Armando Fernandez | 11 |
| 13 | Anatoly Akimov | 10 |
| 13 | Oleksiy Barkalov | 10 |
| 13 | Viorel Rus | 10 |