Next week, national teams will begin their preparations for the World Cup qualifiers (April 6 – 13). Division 1 will take place in Alexandroupolis, Greece, while Division 2 teams will compete in Malta.
Several head coaches have announced the extended list of players called up for preparations, and some have picked the final 16-player rosters.
The teams are more or less rejuvenated. Some of the head coaches rejuvenated their teams only for these tournaments, while others began assembling teams for the Los Angeles Olympic Games.
However, a few experienced players who were absent from their national teams at the Europeans or for longer are back.
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Eight teams compete in Division 1: Italy, Croatia, Spain, Serbia, Hungary, Netherlands, Greece, and the USA. There are 24 teams in Division 2. The top five teams from Division 1 and the top two from Division 2 will qualify for the World Cup Final in Sydney. Australia is already qualified as the host.
Big rejuvenation of the Croatian national team
Croatia head coach Ivica Tucak picked 16 players who will travel to Greece. Compared to the European Championship in Belgrade, both centers, Josip Vrlic and Luka Loncar, goalkeeper Ivan Marcelic, Matias Biljaka, Ante Vukicevic, Andrija Basic, and Filip Krzic are missing
Tucak underlines that he counts on all players who were not invited now. Still, the team that will participate in the World Cup is the foundation for the future, he said in an interview for the Croatian Water Polo Federation website. He added that it’s impossible to expect that two centre forwards, Luka Loncar and Josip Vrlic, who are now 39 and 40 years old, will represent Croatia at the 2028 Olympic Games. Anyway, they will be invited if needed.
New names are goalkeeper Mauo Ivan Cubranic, Mislav Curkovic, Toni Radan, Roko Akrap, Vlaho Pavlic, and two 19-year-old juniors, centre-forward Viktor Tonicic and left-handed Ante Jerkovic.
Marko Bijac, Croatia’s captain Photo by Krsto Vulović.
Croatia’s World Cup Division 1 roster
Goalkeepers: Marko Bijac (Jadran), Mauro Ivan Cubranic (Mladost);
Centre-forwards:. Rino Buric (Pro Recco), Viktor Tonicic (Mladost); defenders: Mislav Curkovic (Jadran), Roko Akrap (Mornar), Toni Radan (Jadran). Attackers: Konstantin Kharkov, Franko Lazic, Luka Bukic (all Mladost), Ante Jerkovic (Jug), Zvonimir Butic (Jadran), Marko Zuvela, Vlaho Pavlic (both Jug), Loren Fatovic (Jadran), Tin Brubnjak (Primorje).
Serbia without nine European champions
Uros Stevanovic, the head coach of the European and Olympic champion Serbia, hasn’t announced the final roster yet. He called up 29 players for the preparations.
Nikola Jaksic, Serbia’s captain Photo by Krsto Vulovic
Eight players who won the gold medal in the Belgrade Arena will miss the World Cup: goalkeeper Radoslav Filipovic, Sava Randjelovic, Strahinja and Viktor Rasovic, Milos Cuk, Nikola Dedovic, Nemanja Vico, and Radomir Drasovic.
Dusan Mandic’s name is on the list for the preparations, but certainly, he won’t play in Greece, as he’s injured and will not be able to play for a few weeks.
Vladimir Misovic, the Olympic champion, and Nikola Murisic, who played for Serbia at the 2025 World Championships, are among the candidates.
Many young players will get a chance to prove themselves. One of them is centre-forward Strahinja Krstic, who is studying at UCLA. In Serbia, he plays for Novi Beograd.
Serbia’s extended roster for the preparations
Goalkeepers: Vladimir Misovic (Crvena Zvezda), Milan Glusac (Novi Beograd), Radosav Virijevic (Valis), Mihailo Gosic (Sava), Mateja Kosanovic (Kosutnjak).
Outfield players: Nikola Murisic (Radnicki), Djordje Lazic (Jadran HN), Strahinja Krstic (UCLA), Vuk Conkic (Partizan), Nikola Jaksic (Radnicki), Petar Jaksic (Radnicki), Dusan Trtovic (Novi Beograd), Luka Pljevancic (Novi Beograd), Novak Lazic (Sabac), Petar Micanovic (Sabac), Nikola Lukic (Novi Beograd), Vasilije Martinovic (Novi Beograd), Rodoljub Gajic (Crvena Zvezda), Vuk Kojic (Valis), Miljan Djokanovic (Partizan), Dusan Mandic (Ferencvaros), Nemanja Stanojevic (Sabac), Vuk Milojevic (Novi Beograd), Viktor Urosevic (Novi Beograd), Marko Dimitrijevic (Novi Beograd), Relja Dankovic (Crvena Zvezda), Luka Gladovic (Novi Beograd), Filip Novakovic (Sabac) and Luigi Canepa (Partizan).
Hungary: Five new players compared to the Europeans; Zalanki hasn’t returned yet
Zsolt Varga, the head coach of the team that finished as runners-up in the 2025 World Championships and the 2026 European Championships, announced Hungary’s roster for the World Cup Division 1.
Gergo Zalanki, who hasn’t played for Hungary since the Paris Olympics, is not included in the lineup. However, Varga stated in an official announcement that the left-handed goal-scorer from Olympiacos will be invited for summer preparations, as the World Cup Division 1 serves as an opportunity to test some younger players.
Five players who helped win European silver, Daniel Angyal, Krisztian Manhercz, Peter Kovacs, and Benedek Batizi, were not selected for the World Cup Division 1.
(L to R) Adam Nagy, Vendel Vigvari and Gergely Burian Photo: Laszlo Balogh.
Experienced center-forward Toni Nemet, who has not participated in major competitions since the 2024 World Championships, will join the team for the World Cup Division 1 after missing the European Championships. Additionally, Gergely Burian from Barceloneta, who didn’t make the final cut for the European Championships, is included as well. Besides the two, new names compared to the Belgrade Championships are Dome Dala, Csongor Lugosi, and Peter Szalai.
Hungary’s World Cup Division 1 roster
Goalkeepers: Kristof Csoma (Honved), Soma Vogel (Ferencvaros).
Outfield players: Gergely Burian (Barceloneta), Dome Dala (Vasas), Gergo Fekete (Ferencvaros), Szilard Jansik (Ferencvaros), Csongor Lugosi(Ferencvaros), Adam Nagy (Marseille), Akos Nagy (Ferencvaros), David Tatrai (BVSC),Toni Nemet (Jadran Split), Péter Szalai (Vasas), Vince Varga (Ferencvaros), Vendel Vigvari (Ferencvaros), Vince Vigvari (Barceloneta), Zsombor Vismeg (Ferencvaros).
Two Pro Recco’s aces are back in the Italian national team
Italy competed at the 2026 Europeans with a significantly rejuvenated squad. The team is still young, but some great aces return.
Edoardo Di Somma, the only legionnaire on Italy’s roster Photo by Krsto Vulović.
There are 23 players on Italy’s extended roster, announced by Alessandro Campagna. Among them are almost all who won 4th place at the Europeans (Mattia Antonucci is the only exception).
Two experienced players of Pro Recco who didn’t participate in the European Championships are again among the candidates for their places on the team – goalkeeper Gianmarco Nicosia and Giacomo Cannella.
Italy’s extended roster for the preparations
Goalkeepers:Marco Del Lungo (Savona), Gianmarco Nicosia (Pro Recco), Francesco De Michelis (Olympic Roma).
Outfield players: Jacopo Alesiani, Alessandro Balzarini, Mario Del Basso, Vincenzo Dolce, Filippo Ferrero, Tommaso Gianazza and Stefano Guerrato (all Brescia), Alessandro Carnesecchi (Ortigia 1928), Eduardo Campopiano (De Akker), Francesco Cassia, Francesco Condemi, Matteo Iocchi Gratta, Giacomo Cannella (all Pro Recco), Lorenzo Bruni, Mario Guidi, Alessandro Gullotta, Davide Occhione and Andrea Condemi (all Savona), Edoardo Di Somma (Ferencvaros) and Mattia Rocchino (Posillipo).
Montenegro: Two experienced players are out, and two return
Montenegro stands out as the only European powerhouse competing in Division 2 in Malta.
Two experienced players who took part in the European Championships in Belgrade, where Montenegro finished in 7th place, have not been called up for the training camp by head coach Dejan Savic: Dmitri Kholod (Jadran HN) and Vlado Popadic (Brescia).
Aleksa Ukropina (MNE) Photo by Krsto Vulovic/WPF of Montenegro
Left-handed goal scorer Aleksa Ukropina is making a return after serving a two-year suspension for violating anti-doping rules. Additionally, Nikola Moskov, Honved’s best scorer this season, is among the 23 candidates vying for a spot on Montenegro’s World Cup roster.
Djuro Radovic and Dusan Banicevic, who prepared for the Europeans, but weren’t selected to the 15-player team, are also invited to the following training camp.
Montenegro’s extended roster for the preparations
Goalkeepers: Petar Tesanovic (Marseille), Darko Djurovic (Sabac), Ilija Radovic (Jadran HN), Marko Pejovic (Primorac).
Outfield players: Miroslav Perkovic (Novi Beograd), Savo Cetkovic (Primorac), Vladan Spaic (Marseille), Dusan Banicevic (Panathinaikos), Jovan Vujovic (Jadran HN), Aljosa Macic (Sabac), Matija Sladovic (Jadran HN), Vasilije Radovic (Jadran HN), Tim Perov (Primorac), Aleksa Ukropina (Novi Beograd), Djuro Radovic, Djordjije Stanojevic, Balsa Vuckovic (all Primorac), Danilo Stupar (Jadran HN), Dusan Matkovic (Jadran S), Marko Mrsic (Primorac), Strahinja Gojkovic, Srdjan Janovic (both Jadran HN), and Nikola Moskov (Honved).
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