With a ticket to Paris in hand and stress behind them, the Montenegrin water polo players are set to take on the world’s top team.

The World Cup quarter-finals in Doha are here, and the “sharks” will face Spain tomorrow (Tuesday) at 14:00.

This match against the team that recently triumphed in Europe is likely the most manageable for Vladimir Gojković’s squad in the last two grueling months. As Spain enters as the favorite, Montenegro has already achieved its objective by advancing to the quarter-finals—securing a spot in the Olympic Games.

“I believe we can gain a lot from this game, and my desire is for us to stay competitive until the end and perhaps pull off an upset,” coach Gojković stated.

During the European Championship in January, “Furija” only suffered a loss at the beginning against Croatia in a penalty shootout. David Martin’s team gained momentum and went on to become the continental champion.

They performed better than Montenegro, which held its own until the fourth quarter (14:12).

“They are an exceptional team—both individually and collectively. Their organization is remarkable, and their results speak for themselves,” Gojković remarked.

How does one prepare for such a formidable team?

“Preparing for them isn’t overly complex—we simply need to be focused for 32 minutes and maximize our efforts with all 13 players,” Gojković responded.

The Montenegrin coach also reflected on their upcoming participation in the Games in Paris.

“In my view, this is a significant achievement—for Montenegrin water polo and sports as a whole. Our national team is going to the Olympic Games for the fifth consecutive time, which is a remarkable feat considering the environment we’re in.”

He extended another congratulation to his players.

“I must commend them again; it’s incredibly stressful to prepare for one competition over two months, and now we’ve had to do so for two within just a month. We’re thrilled, and this can only serve as additional motivation in their careers to strive for even greater heights,” concluded Gojković.

Despite Spain’s dominance in the World and European Championships recently—reaching the semi-finals in every competition since 2018—Montenegro still holds a strong lead in their head-to-head encounters, 18:10, with six matches drawn.

World Cup Quarter-finals

Tuesday

14:00 Spain – Montenegro

15:30 Greece – Italy

17:00 Serbia – Croatia

18:30 Hungary – France

Semi-Final

Spain – Montenegro/Greece – Italy

Serbia – Croatia/Hungary – France

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