The water polo team of Montenegro has a remarkable history, with five medals from three major competitions, numerous thrilling matches, and unforgettable moments. However, when it comes to world championships, one tournament stands out above the rest.

This Monday in Fukuoka, the “Sharks” will kick off their eighth World Cup participation, a tournament that has consistently posed significant challenges for our national team. This is evidenced by the fact that the Montenegrin team has only progressed past the quarter-finals once, securing a silver medal in Barcelona exactly ten years ago.

Roman Shock and Porobić’s Departure in Shanghai

After an exhilarating win streak, including the European Championship in 2008 and the World League in Podgorica in 2009, Montenegro faced a shocking setback in Rome.

Just a year after their triumph in Malaga, as fans flocked to the Eternal City for the tournament’s finale, the then-coach Petar Porobić saw his team unexpectedly eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals. Ultimately, the European champions had to settle for a disappointing 9th place on the world stage.

Two years later, in Shanghai, the “Sharks” could only reach the quarter-finals, where they were defeated by Croatia (9:6), marking Porobić’s farewell with a 7th place finish.

Strength on Montjuic

Following Porobić, the new coach Ranko Perović led Montenegro to glory with Primorje, and immediately reached the finals of the European Championship in Eindhoven. In 2013, he crafted the peak of Montenegrin water polo history at the world championships on Montjuic hill in Barcelona.

Despite starting off with a loss to Greece, Aleksandar Ivović (the tournament’s leading scorer) and his teammates advanced through the knockout stages by defeating major rivals like Serbia in the quarter-finals (9:8) and Italy in the semi-finals (10:8).

The final was against Hungary, perceived as a more manageable opponent compared to the previous matches, but it seemed like Nikola Janović and the team lacked the energy for that final push, resulting in silver for Montenegro.

Tremors in Kazan and Budapest and the Aftermath

In the subsequent championships at Kazan (2015) and Budapest (2017), Montenegro finished fifth, again falling short of medal contention, and their struggles were marked by internal team upheavals.

After a loss to Croatia (10:4) in Russia, Ivović noted that the national team had lost its essence, leading Perović to decide to step down after the playoff for 5th to 8th place.

Replacing him was Vladimir Gojkovic, who orchestrated a silver medal run at the European Championships in Belgrade in 2016 and initiated a generational shift. The following year, at the World Cup in Budapest, Greece eliminated Montenegro in the quarter-finals (12:7), amid a notable conflict with Darko Brguljan, who subsequently did not return to the team.

Recent championships in Kwangju (10th place) and Budapest (8th place) have cemented a new reality for the Montenegrin national team—a reality where medals seem quite distant.

With a new shot at success in Fukuoka, progressing beyond the famed quarter-finals would be a surprising and significant achievement.

Montenegro at the World Championships

• Rome 2009 – 9th place
• Shanghai 2011 – 7th place
• Barcelona 2013 – silver medal
• Kazan 2015 – 5th place
• Budapest 2017 – 5th place
• Gwangju 2019 – 10th place
• Budapest 2022 – 8th place

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