In the summer of 2026, Croatia won titles at the U16 World Championship, U18 World Championship, and U20 European Championship. Behind this success lies a multi-year process, not a single person or decision.
In the summer of 2026, Croatia won three gold medals in water polo across different age groups. The titles were secured by the U16, U18, and U20 national teams at competitions in Zagreb, Portugal, and Bulgaria. This is a feat unprecedented in the global men's water polo landscape.
The U16 World Championship in Zagreb featured 36 teams, the largest number ever. The U18 World Championship in Portugal brought together 20 teams, and the U20 European Championship in Bulgaria had 16 national teams. None of the elite teams were absent, and the Croats defeated them all.
The success did not come overnight. In 2017, the U17 team won silver at the World Championship, and a year earlier, the U18 team took gold. Then came a medal drought that lasted a full seven years, until 2024. During that period, Croatia played in about 20 consecutive championships without a medal, some with very low placements.
In 2018, 2019, and 2021, there were no medals. The pandemic year of 2020 further disrupted the rhythm. The drought was broken in 2024 with the U19 European title in Burgas under coach Bajić, and in 2025 with the U20 World bronze, again with Bajić at the helm.
About two to three years ago, the Croatian Water Polo Federation identified the problem and formed a sort of "council." Emil Nikolić, the trophy-winning former coach of Jug, was brought back from Šabac and appointed coordinator of the youth national teams from U16 to U20. Milivoj Bebić, a member of the Federation's Executive Board and a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, contributes his expertise.
Neven Kovačević, a doctor of kinesiology and former national team coach, organizes camps for children aged 11 to 14 across Croatia. The camps are held in Varaždin, Split, Đakovo, Rijeka, Šibenik, Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Zadar, and Vukovar. Each camp gathers 30, 40, and even up to 60 children from all clubs, under the expert supervision of six to seven coaches.
The children are taught the basics of water polo, tactics, but also proper behavior at meals, respect for opponents, and standing at attention during the national anthem. Senior national team coach Ivica Tucak is also involved in the entire process, with the goal of building a distinct Croatian style of water polo.
One of the key elements was the return to national frameworks, that is, stepping out of the regional league. Players from "smaller" clubs finally got more opportunities to play against the elite. Clubs gave young players maximum playing time and trust.
Literally all players from the U20 national team have gone through at least two seasons of the senior Championship. Some have even played in the Champions League and the Euro Cup: Tončinić, Jerković, Šušić, Skejić, and Ćurković. The U20 team features players from Primorje, Jug AO, Mladost, Jadran, Mornar, and Solaris-six clubs in total.
Three players even competed this summer for both U18 and U20: Batoš, Rogić, and Skejić. Senior national team players already include Tončinić, Ćurković, Šušić, and Jerković. Just a year older are the goalkeeper tandem of Mauro Ivan Čubranić, who is already competing with Bijač, and scorer Vlaho Pavlić.
The youth team coaches are Bajić (U19 and U20), Sabioni (U16), and Koljanin (U18). None of them alone is responsible for this rise, just as no single decision changed everything. This is about a system, hard work, and effort far from the headlines and TV cameras.
