# Major achievements in water polo by nation

This article contains lists of achievements in major senior-level international water polo tournaments according to first-place, second-place and third-place results obtained by teams representing different nations. The objective is not to create combined medal tables; the focus is on listing the best positions achieved by teams in major international tournaments, ranking the nations according to the most podiums accomplished by teams of these nations.

## Results

For the making of these lists, results from following major international tournaments are consulted:
| Governing body | Tournament | Edition | Edition | Edition |
| Governing body | Tournament | First | Latest | Next |
| FINA & IOC | Water polo at the Summer Olympics (quadrennially) | 1900 | 2020 | 2024 |
| FINA | Water polo at the World Aquatics Championships (biennially) | 1973 | 2022 | 2023 |
| FINA | FINA Water Polo World Cup (quadrennially) | 1979 | 2018 | 2023 |
| FINA | FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup (quadrennially) | 1979 | 2018 | 2023 |
| FINA | FINA Water Polo World League (annually) | 2002 | 2022 | Defunct |
* FINA: Fédération internationale de natation
* IOC: International Olympic Committee
Medals for the demonstration events are NOT counted. Medals earned by athletes from defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are NOT merged with the results achieved by their immediate successor states. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) does NOT combine medals of these nations or teams.
The tables are pre-sorted by total number of first-place results, second-place results and third-place results, then most first-place results, second-place results, respectively. When equal ranks are given, nations are listed in alphabetical order.

### Men and women

Last updated after the 2023 World Aquatics Championships (As of 29 July 2023) :
| | | Olympic Games | Olympic Games | World Championships | World Championships | World Cup | World Cup | World League | World League | Number of | Number of | Number of | |
| Rk. | Nation | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | | | | Total |
| 1 | Italy | | | | | | | | | 6 | 2 | 0 | 8 |
| 2 | Hungary | | | | | | | | | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Spain | | | | | | | | | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| 4 | Russia | | | | | | | | | 3 | 2 | 3 | 8 |
| 5 | United States | | | | | | | | | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 | Greece | | | | | | | | | 2 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | Australia | | | | | | | | | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
| 8 | Netherlands | | | | | | | | | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 9 | Serbia | | | | | | | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Croatia | | | | | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | Serbia and Montenegro$^*$ | | | | | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 12 | Soviet Union$^*$ | | | | | | | | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 12 | Yugoslavia$^*$ | | | | | | | | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 14 | Canada | | | | | | | | | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 15 | China | | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 16 | West Germany$^*$ | | | | | | | | | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 17 | Montenegro | | | | | | | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 18 | Germany | | | | | | | | | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 19 | France | | | | | | | | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Great Britain | | | | | | | | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Belgium | | | | | | | | | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 21 | Sweden | | | | | | | | | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 23 | Brazil | | | | | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 23 | Cuba | | | | | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 23 | Unified Team$^*$ | | | | | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
$^*$Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

### Men

Last updated after the 2023 World Aquatics Championships (As of 29 July 2023) :
| | | Olympic Games | World Championships | World Cup | World League | Number of | Number of | Number of | |
| Rk. | Nation | Men | Men | Men | Men | | | | Total |
| 1 | Hungary | | | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1 | Italy | | | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1 | Serbia | | | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Croatia | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Serbia and Montenegro$^*$ | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Spain | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 7 | Russia | | | | | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Greece | | | | | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Soviet Union$^*$ | | | | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Yugoslavia$^*$ | | | | | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | United States | | | | | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 12 | West Germany$^*$ | | | | | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 13 | Montenegro | | | | | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Germany | | | | | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 15 | Australia | | | | | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 16 | France | | | | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 16 | Great Britain | | | | | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Belgium | | | | | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 18 | Sweden | | | | | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Brazil | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | Cuba | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | Netherlands | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 20 | Unified Team$^*$ | | | | | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
$^*$Defunct National Olympic Committees (NOCs) or historical teams are shown in italic.

### Women

Last updated after the 2023 World Aquatics Championships (As of 29 July 2023) :
| | | Olympic Games | World Championships | World Cup | World League | Number of | Number of | Number of | |
| Rk. | Nation | Women | Women | Women | Women | | | | Total |
| 1 | United States | | | | | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Australia | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 2 | Netherlands | | | | | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 4 | Italy | | | | | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | Hungary | | | | | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 5 | Spain | | | | | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 7 | Russia | | | | | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| 8 | Greece | | | | | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Canada | | | | | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | China | | | | | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |