The World Championships always attract world-class names – the giveaway is in the name. But who are the best of the best?

The 14-day event in Fukuoka – of which the women’s competition takes up 7 of those days in a day-on, day-off routine – is a feast of water polo. However, we have picked 15 players – the number chosen because of the permitted roster size – who will provide the most delicious moments: the game changers.

Some names you will be sure to know, while the list also includes some that are less familiar. Let us know if you agree or disagree!

You can follow all the action from the women’s games at the 2023 World Championships live here

Game Changers: Fukuoka

1. Rita Keszthelyi

Nation: Hungary
Position: Attacker
Club: CN Mataro
Age: 31

The list could start and stop here, with Rita Keszthelyi right at the top of the pile. At her best, she is simply unstoppable and the most eye-catching player in the game. After her short break from international water polo last autumn, Keszthelyi has been in formidable form for Mataro in Spain – finishing as the league’s top goal-scorer. The 2015 World Championship top goal-scorer and the eight-time Hungarian player of the year is the most important weapon in Magyar’s arsenal. If she’s firing on all cylinders, she will win her team any match. She was the best player in Budapest, will she follow that accolade up in Fukuoka?

2. Maggie Steffens

Nation: United States
Position: Utility
Club: Astralpool Sabadell
Age: 30

Like Keszthelyi, another player who has dominated the game over the last decade is enjoying something of a renaissance. That assessment might actually be misleading, as the all-time record Olympic goal-scorer has never really dropped her level of importance for her club and country. Last year in Budapest, Steffens was perhaps slightly more reserved, owing to an injury she was carrying, but the GOAT of women’s waterpolo has since looked to be back close to her best. There is no doubt Maggie Steffens loves the World Championships too; alongside Maddie Musselman and Rachel Fattal, she has won a record four World Championship gold medals.

3. Bea Ortiz

Nation: Spain
Position: Right Driver
Club: Astralpool Sabadell
Age: 28

Bea Ortiz heads into these championships at the peak of her powers after a magnificent season with club and country. She can score, she can assist, and she can defend to a high degree of quality. The joint top goal-scorer of the 2022 World Championships was pivotal in guiding Spain to the European and World League titles in the back end of 2022, and will be just as vital in Fukuoka. World Championship glory has, as of yet, evaded Ortiz, with two silver medals from Budapest and Gwangju, and Ortiz will no doubt want to help her team forget their underwhelming 5th place last year at this competition in the Hungarian capital.

4. Maddie Musselman

Nation: United States
Position: Left Wing
Club: N/A
Age: 25

Simply the most prolific goal-scorer in women’s water polo. Unfortunately for her opponents, when her team gives her good service, the two-peat female Total Player Award winner is clinical on the left side. She made all the difference in Budapest last summer, silencing Alfred Hajos with five goals in the final, finishing the tournament with a deadly 71% shot-to-goal ratio (20 goals). We might never see Musselman grace Europe’s professional leagues, but the best player of the post-covid era is always the player to watch when representing the stars and stripes of the USA.

5. Tilly Kearns

Nation: Australia
Position: Centre Forward
Club: USC Trojans
Age: 22

Not yet a big name, but certainly a big player. Tilly Kearns had a show-stopping past two seasons in the USA with Southern California, twice earning her name in the Cutino award final three. Kearns is a classic centre-forward, mostly with an eye for goal. She’s young, hungry and not least a Tik Tok sensation – Kearns could be a catalyst of becoming the next big name in women’s water polo. There is no doubt we can expect big things from the Australian moving forward, but can she make her mark in Fukuoka?

6. Ashleigh Johnson

Nation: United States
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: N/A
Age: 28

So often in the big moments of games, we only focus on goal-scoring, but if there is one goal-stopper who has changed that in recent times, it’s Ashleigh Johnson. A mighty keeper between the sticks who regularly racks up double-digits in saves, Johnson, alongside Amanda Longan, provides the foundation for the USA’s near-flawless defensive efforts. The 2019 Total Player is bidding to win consecutive best goalkeeper awards at the world championships competition.

7. Simone Van de Kraats

Nation: Netherlands
Position: Right Wing
Club: CN Mataro
Age: 22

The best left-handed goal scorer in world water polo. After a top goal-scorer award at the Tokyo Olympics, Simone van de Kraats has shown no signs of slowing down, and if she can channel some of the form she enjoyed on her last trip to Japan, the Dutch could very well be on their way to podium glory. Defensively, she is solid, racking up a lot of steals, but up front, she is all about hitting the target. SVK has been in fantastic form for her club all season, so defences could be in for a rough-ride in Fukuoka if she carries that momentum into this tournament.

8. Nikoleta Eleftheriadou

Nation: Greece
Position: Centre Back
Club: Olympiacos
Age: 25

An exceptional all-round player who is leading the Greek charge in Fukuoka. Her attacking prowess is matched by her defensive efforts. The core of the Greek team is solid, but they are crying out for a leading light. Could Eleftheriadou provide that at these World Championships?

9. Martina Terre

Nation: Spain
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: CN Sant Andreu
Age: 20

Another goalkeeper who couldn’t stay off this list is young Martina Terre. Not only a brilliant shot-stopper capable of keeping Laura Ester on the Spanish substitute bench, but also a goalkeeper who makes a big impact when it matters. Terre is particularly impressive when it comes to saving penalties, saving two in the 2022 European Championship final in Split and making a match-winning save in the final of the World League Super Finals in Tenerife. Could her sharp reactions and poise save Spain in the big moments at these World Championships?

10. Amy Ridge

Nation: Australia
Position: Centre Back
Club: NC Vouliagmeni
Age: 26

Aussie Stinger Amy Ridge has gone from strength to strength over the past few seasons and is now one of the most highly sought-after players in Europe. Firstly, an exceptional defender; secondly, a pinpoint goal scorer, Ridge is the anchor at the spine of the Australian national team. Reminiscent of her former national teammate, Hannah Buckling, Ridge is ready to dominate her duels in Fukuoka. With Gabi Palm in goal, Tilly Kearns at centre, and a perimeter that includes Bronte Halligan and Ridge, the Stingers could really have the Sting in their tail in Fukuoka.

11. Sofia Giustini

Nation: Italy
Position: Winger
Club: SIS Roma/Astralpool
Sabadell Age: 20

The Setterosa is full of excellent shooters with the likes of Bianconi, Marletta, and Avegno, but one incredibly young player is leading the way for the Italians in the most precocious fashion: Sofia Giustini. So talented is Giustini that the European Champions Sabadell were quick to snap her up for the 2023/2024 season, highlighting not only the potential of this player but also her impact now. She was Italy’s top goal scorer inBudapest, and we can expect to see great things from the 20-year-old in Fukuoka.

12. Krisztina Garda

Nation: Hungary
Position: Utility
Club: Dunaujvaros
Age: 28

Our number twelve is Hungary’s number 12. A top player for years, but Dunaujvaros’ Krisztina Garda is really finding her form heading into these World Championships. Garda needs no assistance in her defensive duties and needs no invitation to hit the back of the net. While Rita Keszthelyi might take the limelight and draw the attention, one of Attila Biro’s most trusted deputies could play a big part in taking last year’s runners-up one step further.

13. Lieke Rogge

Nation: Netherlands
Position: Attacker
Club: ZV De Zaan
Age: 22

In a team developing at a supersonic rate, Lieke Rogge has the potential to stand out as a game-changer for the Oranges. She was absent from the national team for a few years but has regrouped with Eva Doudesis’ team like she was never away. By the authors own admission, this is potentially a controversial pick, but with several top clubs attempting to lure Rogge away from De Zaan for her work rate and goals, and in a team of established and experienced players, Rogge could be the one to make the difference.

14. Anni Espar

Nation: Spain
Position: Utility
Club: CN Mataro/Sydney Uni Lions
Age: 29

Consistently a top performer and a fan’s favourite. One of three Spanish players in the current team (Laura Ester and Maica Garcia) to have won gold at the 2013 World Championships. Espar’s value is as much about her work without the ball as it is with the ball. Her dynamism and constant movement create space and time for her teammates. She reads the game well and puts in a strong shift at both ends of the pool. Whenever she plays, on whatever continent she plays, Espar is always leading from the front.

15. Paula Leiton

Nation: Spain
Position: Centre Forward
Club: Astralpool Sabadell
Age: 23

A devastating, formidable, aggressive, and one of the most difficult centre forwards to defend, but Paula Leiton can use her extreme strength to great use too in defense. She is a bit of a unicorn too, in the sense that she has the stamina to play long minutes in between breaks. It’s been ten long years since Spain were last on top of the world, but with Paula Leiton leading from 2m, they have a player who can really power her team through.

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