# Water polo at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships – Men's tournament

The men's water polo tournament at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, organised by the FINA, was held in Melbourne, Australia from 19 March to 1 April 2007.
The men's tournament was won by Croatia who won all of their matches and beat Hungary 9–8 in the final game.

## Participating teams

| Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania |
| South Africa | Canada United States | China Japan | Croatia Germany Greece Hungary Italy Romania Russia Serbia Spain | Australia New Zealand |

### Groups formed
## Preliminary round

* Qualified for the quarterfinals
* Qualified for the playoff round
* Will play for places 13–16

### Group A

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDIF | Points |
| Serbia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 13 | +22 | 6 |
| Italy | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 31 | 15 | +16 | 4 |
| Germany | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 26 | +1 | 2 |
| Japan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 55 | -39 | 0 |
| 20 March 2007 ||
| Japan | 6 – 20 | Italy | 09:00 AEDT |
| Germany | 7 – 11 | Serbia | 11:40 AEDT |
| 22 March 2007 ||
| Japan | 7 – 17 | Germany | 10:20 AEDT |
| Serbia | 6 – 3 | Italy | 13:00 AEDT |
| 24 March 2007 ||
| Japan | 3 – 18 | Serbia | 09:00 AEDT |
| Germany | 3 – 8 | Italy | 13:00 AEDT |

### Group B

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDIF | Points |
| Croatia | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 6 |
| USA | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 27 | +12 | 4 |
| Australia | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 25 | -1 | 2 |
| South Africa | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 39 | -24 | 0 |
| 20 March 2007 ||
| Croatia | 13 – 5 | South Africa | 10:20 AEDT |
| Australia | 3 – 9 | USA | 21:00 AEDT |
| 22 March 2007 ||
| USA | 14 – 4 | South Africa | 11:40 AEDT |
| Croatia | 10 – 9 | Australia | 21:00 AEDT |
| 24 March 2007 ||
| Croatia | 10 – 8 | USA | 11:40 AEDT |
| Australia | 12 – 6 | South Africa | 21:00 AEDT |

### Group C

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDIF | Points |
| Spain | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 19 | +16 | 6 |
| Greece | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 20 | +8 | 4 |
| Russian Federation | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 26 | 28 | -2 | 2 |
| China | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 15 | 37 | -22 | 0 |
| 20 March 2007 ||
| China | 4 – 15 | Spain | 13:00 AEDT |
| Greece | 10 – 7 | Russia | 17:00 AEDT |
| 22 March 2007 ||
| Russia | 8 – 12 | Spain | 17:00 AEDT |
| China | 5 – 11 | Greece | 18:20 AEDT |
| 24 March 2007 ||
| China | 6 – 11 | Russia | 10:20 AEDT |
| Greece | 7 – 8 | Spain | 17:00 AEDT |

### Group D

| Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GDIF | Points |
| Hungary | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 17 | +34 | 6 |
| Canada | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 35 | -11 | 4 |
| Romania | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 24 | +11 | 2 |
| New Zealand | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 51 | -34 | 0 |
| 20 March 2007 ||
| Canada | 9 – 8 | Romania | 18:20 AEDT |
| Hungary | 21 – 5 | New Zealand | 19:40 AEDT |
| 22 March 2007 ||
| New Zealand | 4 – 18 | Romania | 09:00 AEDT |
| Canada | 3 – 19 | Hungary | 19:40 AEDT |
| 24 March 2007 ||
| Canada | 12 – 8 | New Zealand | 18:20 AEDT |
| Hungary | 11 – 9 | Romania | 19:40 AEDT |

## Final round
### Finals

| Play-off 26 March 2007 | Play-off 26 March 2007 | Play-off 26 March 2007 | Quarterfinals 28 March 2007 | Quarterfinals 28 March 2007 | Quarterfinals 28 March 2007 | Semifinals 30 March 2007 | Semifinals 30 March 2007 | Semifinals 30 March 2007 | Final 1 April 2007 | Final 1 April 2007 | Final 1 April 2007 |
| | | | Serbia | Serbia | 8 | | | | | | |
| Greece | Greece | 8 | Greece | Greece | 3 | | | | | | |
| Romania | Romania | 7 | | | | Serbia | Serbia | 7 | | | |
| | | | | | | Croatia | Croatia | 10 | | | |
| | | | Croatia | Croatia | 13 | | | | | | |
| Russian Fed. | Russian Fed. | 17 | Russian Fed. | Russian Fed. | 3 | | | | | | |
| Canada | Canada | 13 | | | | | | | Croatia (AET) | Croatia (AET) | 9 |
| | | | | | | | | | Hungary | Hungary | 8 |
| | | | Spain | Spain | 7 | | | |
| Italy | Italy | 12 | Italy | Italy | 5 | | | |
| Australia | Australia | 11 | | | | Spain | Spain | 11 | Third place | Third place | Third place |
| | | | | | | Hungary (AET) | Hungary (AET) | 12 |
| | | | Hungary | Hungary | 13 | | | | Spain (pen) | Spain (pen) | 18 |
| Germany | Germany | 6 | Germany | Germany | 6 | | | | Serbia | Serbia | 17 |
| USA | USA | 3 | | | | | | | | | |

### 5th-8th place

| 5th-8th place | 5th-8th place | 5th/6th place | 5th/6th place |
| 30 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST |
| Greece | 9 |
| Greece | 9 | 1 April 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 1 April 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| Russian Fed. | 8 | 1 April 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 1 April 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| Russian Fed. | 8 | Greece | 15 |
| 30 March 2007 – 16:00 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 16:00 AEST | | Greece | 15 |
| 30 March 2007 – 16:00 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 16:00 AEST | Italy (pen) | 16 |
| Italy | 6 | Italy (pen) | 16 |
| Germany | 5 | | |
| Germany | 5 | 7th/8th place | 7th/8th place |
| | | 1 April 2007 – 09:00 AEST | 1 April 2007 – 09:00 AEST |
| | | Russian Fed. | 11 |
| | | Germany | 8 |

### 9th-12th place

| 9th-12th place | 9th-12th place | 9th/10th place | 9th/10th place |
| 28 March 2007 – 21:00 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 21:00 AEST |
| Australia | 15 |
| Australia | 15 | 30 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| Romania | 9 | 30 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| Romania | 9 | Australia | 9 |
| 28 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST | | Australia | 9 |
| 28 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 11:40 AEST | USA | 10 |
| USA | 16 | USA | 10 |
| Canada | 11 | | |
| Canada | 11 | 11th/12th place | 11th/12th place |
| | | 30 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST | 30 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST |
| | | Romania | 15 |
| | | Canada | 13 |

### 13th-16th place

| 13th-16th place | 13th-16th place | 13th/14th place | 13th/14th place |
| 26 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST | 26 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST |
| Japan | 7 |
| Japan | 7 | 28 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| South Africa | 9 | 28 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST |
| South Africa | 9 | South Africa | 12 |
| 26 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 26 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | | South Africa | 12 |
| 26 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | 26 March 2007 – 10:20 AEST | People's Republic of China | 13 |
| People's Republic of China | 11 | People's Republic of China | 13 |
| New Zealand | 8 | | |
| New Zealand | 8 | 15th/16th place | 15th/16th place |
| | | 28 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST | 28 March 2007 – 09:00 AEST |
| | | Japan | 9 |
| | | New Zealand | 10 |

## Final ranking

| | Croatia |
| | Hungary |
| | Spain |
| 4 | Serbia |
| 5 | Italy |
| 6 | Greece |
| 7 | Russia |
| 8 | Germany |
| 9 | United States |
| 10 | Australia |
| 11 | Romania |
| 12 | Canada |
| 13 | China |
| 14 | South Africa |
| 15 | New Zealand |
| 16 | Japan |
* 2007 FINA Men's World champions
* Croatia First title
* Team Roster
* Samir Barać, Miho Bošković, Damir Burić, Andro Bušlje, Teo Đogaš, Maro Joković, Igor Hinić, Maro Joković, Aljoša Kunac, Pavo Marković, Josip Pavić, Mile Smodlaka, Frano Vićan, and Zdeslav Vrdoljak Head coach: Ratko Rudić

## Medalists

| Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| Croatia Samir Barač Miho Bošković Damir Burić Andro Bušlje Teo Đogaš Igor Hinić Maro Joković Aljoša Kunac Pavo Marković Josip Pavić Mile Smodlaka Frano Vićan Zdeslav Vrdoljak (c) Head coach Ratko Rudić | Hungary Tibor Benedek (c) Péter Biros Rajmund Fodor Tamás Kásás Gábor Kis Gergely Kiss Norbert Madaras Tamás Molnár Viktor Nagy Zoltán Szécsi Márton Szivós Dániel Varga Dénes Varga Head coach Dénes Kemény | Spain Iñaki Aguilar Ángel Andreo Iván Gallego Mario García Xavier García David Martín Marc Minguell Guillermo Molina Iván Pérez (c) Felipe Perrone Ricardo Perrone Svilen Piralkov Xavier Vallès Head coach Rafael Aguilar |
Croatia, Hungary and Spain qualified for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, PR China

## Individual awards

* Most Valuable Player
   * Guillermo Molina (ESP)
* Best Goalkeeper
   * Alexander Tchigir (GER)
* Topscorer
   * Anthony Azevedo (USA) — 19 goals