The FINA Water Polo World League was an international water polo league organized by FINA (now World Aquatics), which played annually, typically from winter through to June.Water Polo World League page of the FINA website; retrieved 3 March 2012. League play featured continental tournaments for men and women, from which the top teams emerged to play in the championship tournament (the Super Final) where the league champion team is crowned.
Men's league play began in 2002, to capitalize on increased worldwide popularity of water polo created by the 2000 Olympic Games, especially in Europe, North America, and Australia. The women's league was added in 2004, based on growing interest in women's play.
In October 2022, FINA announced that the tournament would be replaced with the FINA Water Polo World Cup and FINA Women's Water Polo World Cup from 2023 on.
Play format Matches consisted of four eight-minute quarters, with a five-minute half-time break. Tie games were decided by an immediate penalty shootout. The game venues had television requirements to bring the sport to the biggest audience possible. Rule changes were made to provide more spectacular play and yield higher scores.
Preliminary rounds of play were organized by continent: Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe. The structure of continental play varied within the league. For example, for 2012, the Americas had a single tournament for each sex, Asia/Oceania has two tournaments for each sex on consecutive weekends, and Europe has six weekends of play for men and two for women.FINA Water Polo World League 2012 Edition – Programme, published 27 February 2012; retrieved 20123 March 2012.
Men Summary FINA Men's Water Polo World LeagueYearHostChampionScoreRunner-up3rd place 2002 Patras, Greece10–8 2003 New York, USA13–8 2004 Long Beach, USA12–8 2005 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro16–6 2006 Athens, Greece6–4 2007 Berlin, Germany9–6 2008 Genoa, Italy7–3 2009 Podgorica, Montenegro8–7 2010 Niš, Serbia10–10 (4–2 PSO) 2011 Florence, Italy8–7 2012 Almaty, Kazakhstan8–8 (10–9 PSO) 2013 Chelyabinsk, Russia12–7 2014 Dubai, UAE10–6 2015 Bergamo, Italy9–6 2016 Huizhou, China10–6 2017 Ruza, Russia10–9 2018 Budapest, Hungary9–9 (4–2 PSO) 2019 Belgrade, Serbia12–11 2020 Tbilisi, Georgia9–8 2022 Strasbourg, France13–9
Medal table
matches played from Serbia and Montenegro are separated from Serbia.
Participation details Legend
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – Quarterfinals — Did not enter qualifications — Did not qualify for the final tournament — Qualified but withdrew – Hosts † – Defunct team
Africa – CANA (6 teams) Men's team 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2022 / × × × × × × • • • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/3 × × × × × × 10th × × × × × × × × × × × × × 1/1 × × × × × × × • × × × × × × × × × × × × 0/1 × × × × × × • • • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/3 × × × × × × × 8th 8th × × × × × × × × • × × 2/3 × × × × × × • × • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/2 Americas – ASUA (7 teams) × × × × × × × × × × × × × • × × • • × • 0/4 • • • • • × × × • × 8th 8th 7th 3rd 7th × × × × •• 6/12 × × × • • 7th 6th × × 7th • • 6th • × × • 8th × 8th 6/12 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • 0/1 × × × × × • × × × × × × × × × × × × × × 0/1 × × × × × • × × × × × × × × × × × × × × 0/1 • 3rd 6th • 5th 5th 2nd 4th 5th 4th 4th 4th 5th 4th 2nd 4th 7th × 2nd 2nd 17/19 × × × × × × × × • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/1 Asia – AASF (5 teams) × × × • • 8th 9th × 7th 8th 6th 6th 8th 8th 8th • • • × × 9/14 × × × × × × • • • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/3 × × × × • • • 7th • • • 7th • • 6th 8th 4th 6th 5th × 7/15 × × × × × × × × • • 5th × • • • 6th 8th 7th 6th × 5/10 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • × × × 0/1 Europe – LEN (20 teams) • × × 4th • • • 2nd 3rd 3rd 1st • • 2nd • 3rd 5th 2nd • • 9/18 × × × × 6th × × • • × × × × • • • × • 7th 4th 3/9 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • • × × 8th × 1/3 × × × 3rd • 4th × • • • • • • • × • • • × • 2/14 × × × × × × × × × × • × × × × × × × × × 0/1 4th 5th 3rd 5th 3rd • 8th • • • • • • • 3rd • × • 3rd • 8/19 3rd 1st 1st 2nd × 2nd × × × × × 2nd 2nd 6th • × 2nd 5th • • 10/13 • 2nd 4th • • • 7th 5th • 2nd 3rd • • 7th 4th 2nd × • 4th 1st 11/19 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • × × 0/1 Part of / • 4th 1st 2nd 5th × 3rd 3rd • • × 1st • 1st 6th 9/13 × 6th × × × × × × × • × × × × × • • • • × 1/6 × × × × × × × × • • • × × × × × × × × × 0/3 × × × • • 6th • • • • • • • • • • • • × • 1/16 1st × × 6th • • • • • • • 5th • • • 5th • • • DQ 4/17 Part of / 1st 1st 3rd 1st 1st × 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st • 1st • 5th 12/14 † × 4th 2nd 1st 1st Defunct 4/4 × × × × × × × × × × × × • • × • × × × • 0/4 2nd × 5th • 2nd • 5th • 6th • 2nd • × • • × 3rd 4th • 3rd 9/17 × × × × × × × × • • • • × • • × × × × × 0/6 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • • × 0/2 Oceania – OSA (2 teams) × • • • 4th 3rd 3rd 6th 4th 6th 7th × 4th 5th 5th 7th 6th 3rd × 7th 14/17 × × × × × × • • • • × • × × × • • • × × 0/8 Total teams 4 6 6 6 6 8 10 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
Performance by team After 2015 World League National teamTotal*Super Final 30.533 15 8 70.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 10.000 6 0 60.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 120.645 141 91 500.750 9 5 0.418 55 23 32 100.230 87 20 670.400 4 1 0.250 24 6 18 90.288 66 19 470.444 4 0 0.292 24 7 17 100.368 114 42 720.800 8 0 0.130 46 6 40 120.645 121 78 430.500 6 6 0.706 34 24 10 10.429 7 3 41.000 1 0 0.000 4 0 4 40.222 36 8 280.250 1 0 0.000 7 0 7 100.333 75 25 500.200 2 2 0.625 8 5 3 10.000 4 0 40.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 140.460 126 58 680.429 6 3 0.346 26 9 17 80.825 97 80 171.000 8 7 0.694 36 25 11 30.083 24 2 220.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 140.598 132 79 530.500 7 4 0.559 34 19 15 100.387 75 29 460.200 2 0 0.250 12 3 9 50.293 41 12 290.200 1 0 0.333 6 2 4 10.000 6 0 60.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 30.188 16 3 130.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 10.333 3 1 20.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 80.767 86 66 200.750 6 5 0.694 36 25 11 30.200 15 3 120.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 20.091 11 1 100.500 1 0 0.000 2 0 2 50.111 36 4 320.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 10.000 3 0 30.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 110.413 75 31 440.091 1 0 0.500 6 3 3 120.421 95 40 550.250 3 1 0.500 14 7 7*** 120.895 143 128 151.000 12 12 0.937 63 59 4 20.083 12 1 110.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 20.500 24 12 121.000 2 0 0.000 12 0 12 120.581 124 72 520.500 6 3 0.567 30 17 13 20.444 9 4 50.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 50.031 32 1 310.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 140.572 138 79 590.857 12 7 0.485 66 32 34 10.000 4 0 40.000 0 0 0.000 0 0 0 *Since 2007 Preliminary Round is played among teams from the same regions (Asia/Oceania, Americas or Asia/Oceania/Americas, Africa and Europe); Super Final statistic included **Wins/Defeats after penalty shootout counted as wins/defeats. ***Serbia's total includes appearances as .
Women Summary FINA Women's Water Polo World LeagueYearHostChampionRunner-up3rd Place 2004 Long Beach, USA 2005 Kirishi, Russia 2006 Cosenza, Italy 2007 Montreal, Canada 2008 Santa Cruz, Spain 2009 Kirishi, Russia 2010 La Jolla, USA 2011 Tianjin, China 2012 Changshu, China 2013 Beijing, China 2014 Kunshan, China 2015 Shanghai, China 2016 Shanghai, China 2017 Shanghai, China 2018 Kunshan, China 2019 Budapest, Hungary 2020 Athens, Greece 2022 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
Medal table
Participation details Legend
– Champions – Runners-up – Third place – Fourth place – Quarterfinals — Did not enter qualifications — Did not qualify for the final tournament — Qualified but withdrew – Hosts
Africa – CANA (1 team) Women's team 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 / × × × × × • • × × × × × × × × • × × 0/3 Americas – ASUA (5 teams) Women's team 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 / × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • 0/1 × • • × × × • × • × 8th 8th 8th × × × × •• 4/7 5th 6th 6th 4th 4th 2nd 8th 6th 7th 8th 6th 6th 7th 2nd 4th 7th 4th 7th 18/18 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • 0/1 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • 0/1 × × × • × × • × × × × × × × × × × × 0/2 1st 5th 1st 1st 2nd 1st 1st 1st 1st 3rd 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 1st 3rd 18/18 × × × × × × × × × × • × × × × × × × 0/1 Asia – AASF (3 teams) Women's team 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 / × × • 6th 5th 5th 5th 4th 4th 1st 4th 4th 4th 6th 6th 8th × × 13/14 × × × • • • • • • • • • • 8th 8th • 7th × 3/14 8th × × × × × • × × × • • × • • • 8th × 2/8 Europe – LEN (10 teams) Women's team 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 / × • • × × • • × × × × • • • × • • • 0/10 × • • • × • • • 6th × × • • × × × × × 1/9 × × × × × • • • • × • × × × × × × × 0/5 6th 1st • 3rd • 7th 3rd 7th 3rd • • • • • × • 6th • 9/16 2nd 4th × • × × 6th • • 4th • • • 4th • 6th 2nd 2nd 8/15 × × × × × × × × × × × × × × × • × • 0/1 3rd 8th 2nd × • 8th • 2nd 8th 6th 2nd 7th 5th • × 2nd • 5th 12/16 × 7th 5th • × × 7th × • • × 3rd • 5th 2nd 4th • 4th 8/13 4th 2nd 3rd • 1st 6th 4th 5th 5th 2nd 7th 5th 6th 3rd 3rd 3rd 3rd DQ 16/17 × • • 5th 6th 4th • 8th • 5th 5th • 2nd × 5th • 5th 1st 10/16 Oceania – OSA (2 teams) Women's team 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2021 2022 / 7th 3rd 4th 2nd 3rd 3rd 2nd 3rd 2nd 7th 3rd 2nd 3rd 7th 7th 5th × 6th 17/17 × × • • × • × • × • × • × × • • × 8th 1/9 Total teams 8 8 6 6 6 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
See also List of water polo world medalists Major achievements in water polo by nation
References
External links FINA water polo official site Water Polo page of FINA's old website (2010 and earlier).