Ranking the top 10 best water polo players in the world right now

Often considered one of the toughest sports in the world, water polo is not for the faint of heart. Its endurance requirements often make it a less ideal choice for many, and it's always considered a minority sport. However, despite its strenuous routine, some players still manage to shine. Who are these players? This article lists ten of the best water polo players in the world.

Some of the strenuous routines involved in the sport include tasking players with fighting the water resistance to surge up and down the pool to score goals. This makes water polo responsible for producing some of the best athletes the world has ever seen. Read along to learn about 10 of the best water polo players in the world right now.

Best water polo players in 2022

Below is a list of top 10 best water polo players as of 2022. As it will be quite evident throughout our list, most players are from eastern Europe and Nordic countries, with a few exceptions from the USA.

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10. Duško Pijetlović

Starting our list at number 10 is Duško Pijetlović, a 37-year-old Serbian international who plays for the Belgrade-based club VK Novi Beograd. He has been named water polo player of the year by prominent magazines such as Swimming World, and in 2015, he was the European player of the year and World Championship MVP.

• Name: Duško pijetlović
• Date of birth: 25 April 1985
• Position: Centre forward
• Current club: VK Novi Beograd
• Social media: Instagram

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9. Aleksandar Ivovic

Aleksandar Ivovic is a 36-year-old Montenegrin player considered one of the best defender in this generation of water polo players. He is known to transform the defence of an entire team. He has won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career, including being the top scorer in three world tournaments; 2013, 2018, and 2019. In 2020 and 2021, he was named the MVP at the FINA World League.

Though he retired from his national team earlier this year, he plays in the Italian powerhouse Pro Recco.

• Name: Aleksandar Ivović
• Date of birth: 24 February 1986
• Position: Centre back defender
• Current club: Pro Recco

8. Stylianos Argyropoulos

Stylianos Argyropoulos is a 26-year-old Greek international player for the Greek powerhouse team Olympiacos. Still, at the prime of his career, Stylianos Argyropoulos has already earned several mentions in the world's top five. While at Olympiacos, he was named the best rookie of the Greek Championship of 2015 and 2016, and was instrumental in the club's winning the 2017-18 championship.

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• Name: Stylianos "Stelios" Argyropoulos-Kanakakis
• Date of birth: 2 August 1996
• Position: Center-back/Centre forward
• Current club: VK Jug
• Social media: Instagram

7. Rita Keszthelyi

Rita Keszthelyi is a Hungarian diver playing for the Hungarian National team and the Spanish club CN Mataro. Before joining the Spanish side, she spent eight years with the Budapest-based club USVE, winning several Hungarian titles and the 2017 LEN trophy.

• Name: Keszthelyi Rita
• Date of birth: 10 December 1991
• Position: Diver
• Current club: CN Mataro
• Social media: Instagram

6. Angelos Vlachopoulos

Angelos Vlachopoulos is another male Greek player at the prime of his career, having the time of his life. This 31-year-old Greek international won a bronze medal during the 2015 World championship and, in 2021, was named a member of the world 2021 team by total-water polo.

• Name: Angelos Vlachopoulos
• Date of birth: 28 September 1991
• Position: Right diver
• Current club: VK Novi Beograd
• Social media: Instagram

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5. Maggie Steffens

Maggie was appointed to the Women's National Team in 2009 and has represented the United States in every major international championship competition conducted annually since then. At 19, Maggie was a member of the Gold-winning team at the London Olympics in 2012. Maggie played alongside her older sister at these Games, making them a dynamic combo of water polo superstar sisters.

Maggie was voted MVP and tied the Olympic record for most goals scored. Maggie was elected Team Captain for the Rio Olympics four years later, and she led Team USA to Gold for the second time in a row. Maggie captained the team in 2019.

• Name: Margaret Ann Steffens
• Date of birth: 4 June 1993
• Position: Attacker
• Social media: Instagram, Twitter

4. Nikola Jakšić

Another player that has attained legendary status while still in his prime is Nikola Jakšić. This 25-year-old Serbian international is considered one of the world's top, if not the world's best, water polo defenders. At 16, Nikola had already made a name for himself in the water polo community and was often cited as the new hope for the sport. Throughout his career, he has won several awards, and in 2021, he was named a member of the world water polo team.

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• Name: Nikola Jakšić
• Date of birth: 17 January 1997
• Position: Centre-back defender
• Current club: VK Novi Beograd
• Social media: Instagram

3. Madeline Musselman

Maddie is nothing but phenomenal considering the few years she has been around. At just 24, this USA international has already been named the MVP of four major international tournaments, which include the 2021 Summer Olympics. She has also been among the highest leading goal scorers in the two Olympics she's participated in.

• Name: Madeline Musselman
• Date of birth: 16 June 1998
• Position: Attacker
• Current club: UCLA college team- UCLA Bruins
• Social media: Instagram, Twitter

2. Filip Filipović

Filip Filipović, a Serbian international, has been voted the male's best water polo player three times: 2011, 2014, and 2021. The 35-year-old has been credited for being instrumental in his country's national team success, winning two bronze and two gold medals at the Olympics in 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2018. He currently plays for the Greek powerhouse Olympiacos.

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• Name: Filip Filipović
• Date of birth: 2 May 1987
• Position: Right diver
• Current club: Olympiacos
• Social media: Instagram, Twitter

1. Dušan Mandić

When it comes to the best water polo player of 2022, it does not get any better than Dušan Mandić. This Serbian international has been racking award after award and honours since he came onto the scene. In 2011, at only 17, he won his first gold medal with the Serbia national team at the Junior Water Polo Championship. In 2012, the Olympic Committee named him the young Athlete of the year.

From there, he went on to make it to the world water polo team twice: in 2018 and 2021, he became the MVP of two major international tournaments, the Len Championship League and the World League. In 2021 he was named by Total-Water polo as the world player of the year.

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• Name: Dušan Mandić
• Date of birth: 16 June 1998
• Position: Right-wing diver
• Current club: VK Novi Beograd
• Social media: Instagram, Twitter

Who are the greatest water polo players of all time?

Below is a compilation of the top ten water polo players of all time.

Who are the most famous water polo players?

Water polo is not a famous sport compared to other sports, and its players do not get the needed recognition. Outside water polo, most players tend to go unnoticed. However, below are a few names who have managed to attain fame outside the sport.

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Who is the best male water polo player of all time?

The late Hungarian international star Dezso Gyarmati is regarded as the greatest water polo player. He is also the most decorated player in the history of the sport.

Who is the best female water polo player of all time?

The American star Brenda Villa is the most decorated female water polo player of all time and is regarded as the best female water polo player in the history of the sport.

Best water polo sports teams in the world

A little-known fact about water polo is that it is one of the oldest sports and was included in the Olympics in 1900. Ever since, there have been a few countries that have emerged triumphant year after year in international tournaments and are hence considered to be the best water polo sports teams in the history of the sport. They are:

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Who is the best Australian water polo player?

Despite not being a powerhouse in the recent past, the Australian men's water polo team has made tremendous strides. Last year in the 2020 Olympics, Australia surprised everyone by upsetting a major powerhouse Croatia. This made them a fan favourite, which triggered the question of who is their best player. 42-year-old Thomas Whalan is considered the best water polo player in the history of the sport in the country.

Even though water polo remains a sport for a few as it is one of the hardest sports, the above-mentioned best water polo players make it all seem easy.

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