Sport in Montenegro revolves mostly around team sports, such as football, basketball, handball, and volleyball. Other sports involved are boxing, tennis, swimming, judo, karate, athletics, table tennis, and chess.
Water polo is the most popular sport in Montenegro, and is considered the national sport. The Montenegro men's national water polo team, one of the top ranked teams in the world, won the gold medal at the 2008 Men's European Water Polo Championship in Málaga, Spain, as well as the gold medal at the 2009 FINA Men's Water Polo World League, which was held in the Montenegrin capital, Podgorica. The Montenegrin team PVK Primorac from Kotor became the European champion at the LEN Euroleague 2009 in Rijeka, Croatia.
Football is the second most popular sport in Montenegro. Notable football players from Montenegro are Dejan Savićević, Predrag Mijatović, Mirko Vučinić, Stefan Savić and Stevan Jovetić. Montenegro national football team, founded in 2006, played in the playoffs for UEFA Euro 2012, which is the biggest success in the history of the national team.
The Montenegro national basketball team is also known for good performances and had won a lot of medals in the past as part of the Yugoslavia national basketball team. In 2006, the Basketball Federation of Montenegro along with this team joined the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) on its own, following the Independence of Montenegro. Montenegro participated on two Eurobaskets until now.
Among women's sports, the national handball team is the most successful, having won the 2012 European Championship and finishing as runners-up at the 2012 Summer Olympics. ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica won EHF Champions League twice.
National competitions Leagues and Cups Out of all the leagues and other national competitions in Montenegro, the most popular are football, basketball, handball, volleyball and water polo. Before independence, Montenegrin clubs played in the competitions of SFR Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro. After 2006, Montenegrin sports federations founded their own national leagues and cups.
At the end of every season, champions and Cup winners from the Montenegro national competitions play in European competitions. Many of them have performed well in European cups, particularly in basketball, women's handball, water polo and volleyball. Before independence, Montenegrin clubs won titles in Yugoslavian competitions, and the especially successful clubs included KK Budućnost Podgorica, ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica, RK Lovćen and PVK Jadran.
Below is a list of all leagues and cups in Montenegro. SportCompetitionsMost successful club(s)Montenegrin First League FK Sutjeska4Montenegrin Second LeagueFK Bokelj2Montenegrin Third LeagueFK Pljevlja4Montenegrin CupFK Rudar4Montenegrin Regional CupsFK Pljevlja5Montenegrin Women's LeagueŽFK Ekonomist4Montenegrin Women's CupŽFK Ekonomist2Prva A LigaKK Budućnost12Prva B LigaKK ABS Primorje3Montenegrin Basketball CupKK Budućnost13Women's Basketball LeagueŽKK Budućnost10Montenegrin Women's Basketball CupŽKK Budućnost10Montenegrin First League of Men's HandballRK Lovćen7Montenegrin Second League of Men's HandballRK Rudar2Montenegrin Men's Handball CupRK Lovćen9Montenegrin First League of Women's HandballŽRK Budućnost13Montenegrin Women's Handball CupŽRK Budućnost13Montenegrin Volleyball LeagueOK Budvanska Rivijera8Montenegrin volleyball CupOK Budvanska Rivijera7Montenegrin women's volley leagueŽOK Luka Bar10Montenegrin women's volleyball CupŽOK Luka Bar7 Water poloMontenegrin First League of Water PoloPVK Jadran9Montenegrin Second League of Water PoloVPK Bokelj6Montenegrin Water Polo CupPVK Jadran11
Football Men The most successful clubs in domestic Montenegrin football competitions are FK Budućnost Podgorica and FK Sutjeska Nikšić, each with four Montenegrin First League titles, however Budućnost have won more Montenegrin Cups. (See: List of Montenegrin First League champions and List of Montenegrin Cup winners)
Women Women's football is the newest of all team sports in Montenegro. The first national competition was held in 2008, and the most successful club is ŽFK Ekonomist Nikšić with five league titles and one cup.(See: List of Montenegrin Women's League champions and Montenegrin Women's Cup winners)
Water polo During the era of SFR Yugoslavia, the first national titles won by Montenegrin clubs were in water polo. There are three extremely successful water polo clubs from Montenegro - PVK Jadran Herceg Novi, VK Primorac Kotor and VK Budva. All of those clubs are holders of both national trophies - from Yugoslavian and from Montenegrin competitions. As well as that, VK Primorac have been a champion of Europe. (See: List of Montenegrin First League of Water Polo champions and List of Montenegrin Water Polo Cup winners)
Handball Men RK Lovćen Cetinje is the most successful Montenegrin men's handball club with titles from the former Yugoslavia to their name. As well as them, six other clubs have won the national trophies since 2006. (See: List of Montenegrin Handball First League champions and List of Montenegrin Men's Handball Cup winners)
Women The most successful Montenegrin club is ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica. It's one of two clubs from Montenegro that have won European competitions in team sports (twice), and the only club to have won Montenegrin women's handball league titles. ŽRK Budućnost is the all-time most successful club in SFR Yugoslavia, FR Yugoslavia and Montenegro. (See: List of Montenegrin Women's Handball League champions and List of Montenegrin Women's Handball Cup winners)
Basketball Men Among Montenegrin basketball clubs, the most successful is KK Budućnost Podgorica, who have many titles of Yugoslavia and Montenegro, with a few successful seasons in FIBA and ULEB Euroleague. KK Budućnost have won every league title ever since Montenegrin independence and three titles in the former Yugoslavia. KK Sutjeska Nikšić have won one cup, whilst all the others were won by KK Budućnost. (See: List of Prva A Liga champions and List of Montenegrin Basketball Cup winners)
Women The most successful women's basketball club is ŽKK Budućnost Podgorica, who are the only Montenegrin team with titles from the Yugoslav League. As well as Budućnost, other successful teams are ŽKK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje. (See: List of Montenegrin Women's Basketball League champions and List of Montenegrin Women's Basketball Cup winners)
Volleyball Men OK Budvanska Rivijera Budva and OK Budućnost were two most successful Montenegrin volleyball clubs in former Yugoslav competitions. Since 2006, those two teams have dominated in Montenegrin competitions too, but the team with the most trophies out of the two is Budvanska Rivijera. (See: List of Montenegrin Volleyball League champions and List of Montenegrin volleyball Cup winners)
Women Among Montenegrin women's volleyball clubs, four have won at least one national trophy. The most successful club is ŽOK Luka Bar, who was the only Montenegrin club that participated in Yugoslav elite competitions, too. (See: List of Montenegrin Women's Volleyball League champions and List of Montenegrin Women's Volleyball Cup winners)
Main rivalries and derbies In every sport, there is one big rivalry in Montenegro. The biggest rivalry across any sport is the football rivalry between FK Budućnost Podgorica and FK Sutjeska Nikšić, known as the Montenegrin Derby. Other traditional football rivalries are between FK Budućnost and FK Lovćen Cetinje, because the two clubs have been playing games against each other since the 1920s. Between 2000 and 2009, there was a huge interest for the Podgorica rivalry between FK Budućnost and FK Zeta, and between 2008 and 2014 there was another important local derby in the Montenegrin First League, between two teams from Nikšić - FK Sutjeska and FK Čelik Nikšić. Since independence in 2006, one of the most important games are matches between FK Budućnost and FK Rudar Pljevlja.
The main derby in basketball is between KK Budućnost Podgorica and KK Sutjeska Nikšić. During the 90's, there was another Montenegrin basketball derby between KK Budućnost and KK Lovćen Cetinje.
The main handball derby in Montenegro is between RK Lovćen Cetinje and RK Berane. There is also a rivalry between RK Lovćen and RK Budućnost Podgorica.
Since the 90's, OK Budućnost Podgorica and OK Budvanska Rivijera Budva have been playing the Montenegrin volleyball derby. Around the turn of the century in 2001, a derby game in Podgorica recorded the highest all-time attendance in the Yugoslav volleyball league (7,500).
The main Montenegrin water polo derby is between VK Primorac Kotor and PVK Jadran Herceg Novi.
Montenegrin clubs in European and ragional competitions During the every season, Montenegrin clubs in every team-sport are participating in European competitions. Most successful were teams in women's handball and men's water polo, who won the titles of Champion of Europe. Except that sports, Montenegrin teams are playing in European competitions in football (men, women), handball, basketball (men, women), volleyball (men, women) and similar sports.
At the beginning of the 21st century, on the territory of former Yugoslavia started process of founding regional sport leagues. Montenegrin clubs were among the founders of all regional competitions, and today they are participating in ABA League, WABA League, SEHA League, Women's Regional Handball League and Adriatic Water Polo League. An exception is Balkans Cup in football, a regional tournament that was held earlier—between the 1960s and 90s.
Notable results Among the notable results and successes of Montenegrin clubs in European competitions are following seasons; Season Sport Competition Montenegrin team Result Handball Cup Winners' Cup ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Champions League VK Primorac Kotor Handball EHF Cup ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Cup Winners' Cup VK Budva Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Basketball FIBA Saporta Cup KK Budućnost Podgorica Handball Cities Cup RK Lovćen Cetinje Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Basketball EuroLeague KK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Cup RK Lovćen Cetinje Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Basketball EuroLeague KK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League RK Lovćen Cetinje Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Cup Winners' Cup PVK Jadran Herceg Novi Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Champions League PVK Jadran Herceg Novi Handball Cup Winners' Cup ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Handball Challenge Cup RK Lovćen Cetinje Water polo LEN Euro Cup VK Budva Volleyball CEV Cup OK Budvanska Rivijera Budva Water polo LEN Euro Cup VK Budva Water polo LEN Champions League VK Primorac Kotor Handball Challenge Cup RK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Champions League VK Primorac Kotor Water polo LEN Euro Cup VA Cattaro Kotor Handball Cup Winners' Cup ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Water polo LEN Champions League VK Budva Volleyball CEV Champions League OK Budvanska Rivijera Budva Basketball EuroCup KK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Football UEFA Europa League FK Zeta Golubovci Basketball EuroCup KK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Volleyball CEV Champions League OK Budvanska Rivijera Budva Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Handball EHF Champions League ŽRK Budućnost Podgorica Basketball EuroCup KK Budućnost Podgorica Basketball Euroleague KK Budućnost Podgorica
Football Men's competitions