# 2020 FINA Men's Water Polo World League

The 2020 FINA Men's Water Polo World League was the 19th edition of the annual men's international water polo tournament. It was played between November 2019 and July 2021 and open to all men's water polo national teams. After participating in a preliminary round, eight teams qualified to play in a final tournament, called the Super Final, originally scheduled from 23 to 28 June 2020. The tournament was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In August 2020, it was announced that it would be played in from January to July 2021.
Montenegro won their third overall title, after defeating the United States in the final.
In the world league, there are specific rules that do not allow matches to end in a draw. If teams are level at the end of the 4th quarter of any world league match, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout. The following points will be awarded per match to each team:
* Match won – 3 points
* Match won by penalty – 2 points
* Match lost by penalty – 1 point
* Match lost or forfeited – 0 points

## European qualification
### Preliminary round

* 12 November 2019 – 11 February 2020
The preliminary round was played in the Round-robin system.

#### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | |
| 1 | Italy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 9 | +14 | 6 | Final round | — | — | 14–3 |
| 2 | Greece | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | 16 | +9 | 3 | Final round | 6–9 | — | — |
| 3 | Georgia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 33 | −23 | 0 | | — | 7–19 | — |

#### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | |
| 1 | France | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 23 | +4 | 4 | Final round | — | 15–10 | — |
| 2 | Hungary | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 21 | +3 | 3 | Final round | — | — | 14–6 |
| 3 | Russia | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 19 | 26 | −7 | 2 | | 13–12 (p) | — | — |

#### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | |
| 1 | Serbia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 18 | +9 | 6 | Final round | — | 15–11 | — |
| 2 | Croatia | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | 22 | +5 | 3 | Final round | — | — | 16–7 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 28 | −14 | 0 | | 7–12 | — | — |

#### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | | | |
| 1 | Montenegro | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 9 | +25 | 6 | Final round | — | — | 23–3 |
| 2 | Spain | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 19 | +7 | 3 | Final round | 6–11 | — | 20–8 |
| 3 | Ukraine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 43 | −32 | 0 | | — | — | — |

### Final round

* 8–10 January 2021, Debrecen, Hungary

#### Bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Final | Final |
| 8 January 2021 | 8 January 2021 | | | |
| Montenegro (PSO) | 15 | | | |
| Montenegro (PSO) | 15 | 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | | |
| Croatia | 14 | 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | |
| Croatia | 14 | Montenegro | 14 | |
| 8 January 2021 | 8 January 2021 | | Montenegro | 14 | |
| 8 January 2021 | 8 January 2021 | Italy | 10 | |
| Italy | 9 | Italy | 10 | |
| Italy | 9 | | | | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Hungary | 8 | | | | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Hungary | 8 | | | | Montenegro | 7 |
| 10 March 2020 | 10 March 2020 | | | | | Montenegro | 7 |
| 10 March 2020 | 10 March 2020 | | | | Greece | 12 |
| Serbia | 11 | | | | Greece | 12 |
| Serbia | 11 | 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | | | |
| Spain | 13 | 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | | | |
| Spain | 13 | Spain | 11 | | | |
| 8 January 2021 | 8 January 2021 | | Spain | 11 | | | |
| 8 January 2021 | 8 January 2021 | Greece | 12 | | Third place game | Third place game |
| France | 3 | Greece | 12 | | Third place game | Third place game |
| France | 3 | | | | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Greece | 12 | | | | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Greece | 12 | | | | Italy | 9 |
| | | | | | Spain | 8 |

##### 5th–8th place bracket

| 5th–8th place semifinals | 5th–8th place semifinals | Fifth place game | Fifth place game |
| 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 |
| Croatia | 11 |
| Croatia | 11 | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Hungary | 13 | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| Hungary | 13 | Hungary | 7 |
| 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | | Hungary | 7 |
| 9 January 2021 | 9 January 2021 | Serbia | 9 |
| Serbia | 10 | Serbia | 9 |
| France | 6 | | |
| France | 6 | Seventh place game | Seventh place game |
| | | 10 January 2021 | 10 January 2021 |
| | | Croatia | 17 |
| | | France | 5 |

#### Final ranking

* Qualified to the Super Final
| Rank | Team |
| | Greece |
| | Montenegro |
| | Italy |
| 4 | Spain |
| 5 | Serbia |
| 6 | Hungary |
| 7 | Croatia |
| 8 | France |

## Inter-Continental Cup

* 24 – 31 May 2021, Indianapolis, United States — cancelled

## Super final

As host country
* Georgia
Qualified teams
* Greece
* Italy
* Montenegro
Invited teams
* France
* Japan
* Kazakhstan
* United States

### Preliminary round

All times are local (UTC+4).

#### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Italy | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 42 | 26 | +16 | 9 |
| 2 | Greece | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 32 | 28 | +4 | 6 |
| 3 | France | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 35 | −8 | 3 |
| 4 | Kazakhstan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 | 43 | −12 | 0 |
| 26 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Greece | 10–8 | France | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |||
| 26 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Argyropoulos, Genidounias 3 | Goals | Bouët, Canonne 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |
| 26 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Kazakhstan | 11–17 | Italy | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |||
| 26 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Vuksanovich 4 | Goals | Damonte, Fondelli 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| 27 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Kazakhstan | 11–12 | France | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |||
| 27 June 2021 14:45 | Report | three players 3 | Goals | Vernoux 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| 27 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Italy | 11–8 | Greece | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |||
| 27 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Di Fulvio 4 | Goals | three players 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |
| 28 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Greece | 14–9 | Kazakhstan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Nenad Periš (CRO) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Nenad Periš (CRO) |||
| 28 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Dervisis, Fountoulis 3 | Goals | Vuksanovic 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Nenad Periš (CRO) |
| 28 June 2021 20:00 | Report | France | 7–14 | Italy | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |||
| 28 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Bouët 3 | Goals | Velotto 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |

#### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | OTW | OTL | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Montenegro | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 22 | +23 | 9 |
| 2 | United States | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 34 | 26 | +8 | 6 |
| 3 | Georgia (H) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 44 | −14 | 3 |
| 4 | Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 27 | 44 | −17 | 0 |
| 26 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Montenegro | 10–6 | United States | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |||
| 26 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Ivović 3 | Goals | Hooper 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |
| 26 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Japan | 12–13 | Georgia | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |||
| 26 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Inaba 5 | Goals | Baraldi 5 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |
| 27 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Georgia | 8–19 | Montenegro | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |||
| 27 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Shushiashvili 3 | Goals | Ivović, Matković 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |
| 27 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Japan | 7–15 | United States | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |||
| 27 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Inaba 3 | Goals | Hallock 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |
| 28 June 2021 16:30 | Report | United States | 13–9 | Georgia | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Alessandro Severo (ITA), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Alessandro Severo (ITA), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |||
| 28 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Daube, Irving 3 | Goals | Jelača 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Alessandro Severo (ITA), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |
| 28 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Montenegro | 16–8 | Japan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Frank Ohme (GER) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Frank Ohme (GER) |||
| 28 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Vidović 4 | Goals | Inaba 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Frank Ohme (GER) |

### Knockout stage
#### Bracket

| Quarterfinals | Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Semifinals | | Final | Final |
| 29 June | 29 June | | | |
| Greece | 20 | | | |
| Greece | 20 | 30 June | 30 June | | |
| Georgia | 8 | 30 June | 30 June | |
| Georgia | 8 | Greece | 4 | |
| 29 June | 29 June | | Greece | 4 | |
| 29 June | 29 June | Montenegro | 8 | |
| Kazakhstan | 6 | Montenegro | 8 | |
| Kazakhstan | 6 | | | | 1 July | 1 July |
| Montenegro | 18 | | | | 1 July | 1 July |
| Montenegro | 18 | | | | Montenegro | 9 |
| 29 June | 29 June | | | | | Montenegro | 9 |
| 29 June | 29 June | | | | United States | 8 |
| France | 11 | | | | United States | 8 |
| France | 11 | 30 June | 30 June | | | |
| United States | 12 | 30 June | 30 June | | | |
| United States | 12 | United States | 10 | | | |
| 29 June | 29 June | | United States | 10 | | | |
| 29 June | 29 June | Italy | 8 | | Third place game | Third place game |
| Italy | 15 | Italy | 8 | | Third place game | Third place game |
| Italy | 15 | | | | 1 July | 1 July |
| Japan | 12 | | | | 1 July | 1 July |
| Japan | 12 | | | | Greece | 10 |
| | | | | | Italy | 8 |
5th–8th place bracket
| 5th–8th place semifinals | 5th–8th place semifinals | Fifth place game | Fifth place game |
| 30 June | 30 June |
| Georgia | 15 |
| Georgia | 15 | 1 July | 1 July |
| Kazakhstan (PSO) | 16 | 1 July | 1 July |
| Kazakhstan (PSO) | 16 | Kazakhstan | 10 |
| 30 June | 30 June | | Kazakhstan | 10 |
| 30 June | 30 June | Japan | 17 |
| France | 10 | Japan | 17 |
| Japan | 16 | | |
| Japan | 16 | Seventh place game | Seventh place game |
| | | 1 July | 1 July |
| | | Georgia | 5 |
| | | France | 10 |

#### Quarterfinals

| 29 June 2021 14:45 | Report | France | 11–12 | United States | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |||
| 29 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Crousillat 4 | Goals | Daube 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Stanko Ivanovski (MNE), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |
| 29 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Greece | 20–8 | Georgia | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |||
| 29 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Fountoulis 6 | Goals | three players 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |
| 29 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Italy | 15–12 | Japan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |||
| 29 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Alesiani, Echenique 3 | Goals | four players 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |
| 29 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Kazakhstan | 6–18 | Montenegro | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |||
| 29 June 2021 20:00 | Report | six players 1 | Goals | Ivović 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Vojin Putniković (SRB) |

#### 5–8th place semifinals

| 30 June 2021 14:45 | Report | France | 10–16 | Japan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |||
| 30 June 2021 14:45 | Report | Crousillat, Vernoux 4 | Goals | Inaba 5 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Germán Moller (ARG), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |
| 30 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Georgia | 15–16 | Kazakhstan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Michael Goldenberg (USA), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Michael Goldenberg (USA), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |||
| 30 June 2021 16:30 | Report | Shushiashvili, Vapenski 3 | Goals | Vuksanovic 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Michael Goldenberg (USA), Christos Kourtidis (GRE) |

#### Semifinals

| 30 June 2021 18:15 | Report | Greece | 4–8 | Montenegro | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |||
| 30 June 2021 18:15 | Report | four players 1 | Goals | Matković 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Sébastien Dervieux (FRA) |
| 30 June 2021 20:00 | Report | United States | 10–8 | Italy | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |||
| 30 June 2021 20:00 | Report | Daube 3 | Goals | three players 2 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Dion Willis (RSA), Stanko Ivanovski (MNE) |

#### Seventh place game

| 1 July 2021 16:15 | Report | Georgia | 5–10 | France | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vojin Putniković (SRB), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vojin Putniković (SRB), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |||
| 1 July 2021 16:15 | Report | five players 1 | Goals | Vernoux 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Vojin Putniković (SRB), Adil Aimbetov (KAZ) |

#### Fifth place game

| 1 July 2021 14:30 | Report | Kazakhstan | 10–17 | Japan | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |||
| 1 July 2021 14:30 | Report | Ruday 4 | Goals | Arai, Koppu 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Frank Ohme (GER), Vakhtang Mebuke (GEO) |

#### Third place game

| 1 July 2021 18:00 | Report | Greece | 10–8 | Italy | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |||
| 1 July 2021 18:00 | Report | Genidounias 3 | Goals | Bodegas 4 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Sébastien Dervieux (FRA), Michael Goldenberg (USA) |

#### Final

| 1 July 2021 19:45 | Report | Montenegro | 9–8 | United States | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |
| Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |||
| 1 July 2021 19:45 | Report | Ivović 5 | Goals | Daube 3 | Tbilisi Olympic Pool, Tbilisi Referees: Nenad Periš (CRO), Alessandro Severo (ITA) |

### Final ranking

| Rank | Team |
| | Montenegro |
| | United States |
| | Greece |
| 4 | Italy |
| 5 | Japan |
| 6 | Kazakhstan |
| 7 | France |
| 8 | Georgia |

### Awards

The awards were announced on 1 July 2021.
| Award | Player |
| MVP | Aleksandar Ivović |
| Best goalkeeper | Drew Holland |
| Topscorer | Yusuke Inaba |