Since Sheffield (1993) and Rome (1994), when Italy claimed the European and world championship titles, and Croatia first made its mark in major competitions as an independent nation, a fierce water polo rivalry has been brewing.

Now, three decades later, the “Setebelo” and “Barracuda” continue to dominate. Today at 15:30, they will clash in the World Championship grand final in Doha to determine the new world champion.

This marks Italy’s fifth World Cup title attempt after victories in 1978, 1994, 2011, and 2019, while Croatia aims to secure its third star following triumphs in 2007 and 2017.

This encounter in the “Aspajer dom” will also showcase a tactical duel between two legendary coaches—Alessandra Campanje and Edge Tucak.

“This final is incredibly significant for me, even though many are looking ahead to the Olympic qualifiers. The Games are in July, but right now it’s February—let’s savor this final before we turn our attention to Paris,” remarked the legendary Italian coach on the association’s website.

For Tucak, the former coach of Jadran from Herceg Novi, this is his third World Cup final. In Kazan 2015, Croatia fell to Serbia but bounced back to defeat them in the 2017 semi-finals and later conquered Hungary in front of a packed Margitsiget arena to claim the championship.

“I’ve told the players that there will be no more training or video analysis—our focus is solely on the final,” said Tucak, as reported by “Večernji list.”

“This is Croatia’s fourth final and my third. We’re pleased with our progress so far, but the final hurdle remains. We must overcome it.”

Since those initial showdowns in Sheffield and Rome, the encounters between Croatia and Italy have provided numerous unforgettable moments that ultimately determined the new champions.

The Barracudas celebrated their first European Championship in 2010 by conquering Italy in the final, and two years later, they triumphed over the same opponent to secure gold at the London Olympics. Croatia also recalls significant victories leading to its titles in 2017 (World Cup quarter-finals) and 2022 (European Championship semi-finals).

Conversely, Italy claimed world championships in 1994 and 2011 by defeating Croatia in the semi-finals.

Now, all eyes are set for another classic matchup—the world awaits the new champion.

The final day of the championship brings other placement matches as well. The day began early with a match between Montenegro and Hungary for seventh place (our match started at 8 AM). Spain and France will compete for third place, while Greece and Serbia face off for fifth.

WC Doha 2024

Final

Italy – Croatia (15:30)

For 3rd place

Spain – France (9:30 AM)

For 5th place

Greece – Serbia (14:00)

For 7th place

Montenegro – Hungary (8:00 AM)

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