The highlight of the upcoming water polo season will be the 20th World Championships in Fukuoka (14 – 30 July)
Most qualifying tournaments were held in 2022 – World League, World Championships in Budapest, and two continental championships (Europe and Asia).
Only four tickets for Fukuoka are still available (two for men’s and two for women’s teams). They will be allocated at the Pan American Championships that will take place in Bauru (Brazil) early in April.
Two female and two male teams will qualify from Bauru to Fukuoka. The finalists will have guaranteed spots at the 2023 Worlds. However, the male and female teams of the USA are already qualified. Suppose they advance to the finals in Bauru (which is expected). In that case, the bronze medalists at the Bauru tournament will also go to Fukuoka.
The qualification rules:
“-The four (4) highest-ranking teams from the preceding World Cup, Olympic Games, or World Championships, two (2) highest-ranking teams from the preceding year’s World League, one (1) team from the host country and nine (9) teams from the five (5) continents to be selected through continental qualification tournaments or continental championships according to the following formula: Europe – 3; Americas – 2; Asia – 2; Africa – 1; and Oceania – 1.
-If any of the teams qualified from the preceding year’s World League is in the first four (4) from the preceding World Cup, World Championships, or Olympic Games, the next ranked team from that World Cup, World Championships or Olympic Games qualifies.”
At least one team will debut at the Worlds. It is the female team of Israel, which finished 5th at the European Championships. The semifinalists of the Split Championships qualified through the World League or the World Championships. The list of debutants may be extended after the Pan American Championships.
Qualified teams
MEN
Host: Japan
World League (2 teams): Italy (gold) and USA (silver)
World Championships (4 teams): Spain (gold), Greece (bronze), Croatia (4th place) and Serbia (5th place).
*Italy (silver) qualified as the World League winner.
European Championships (3 teams): Hungary (silver), France (6th place), and Montenegro (7th place).
*Croatia (gold), Spain (bronze), Italy (4th place), and Greece (5th place) qualified through the World League and World Championships.
Asian Championships (2 teams): China (silver) and Kazakhstan (bronze)
*Japan (gold) qualified as the host.
Oceania (1 team): Australia (TBC)
Africa (1 team): South Africa (TBC)
Americas (2 teams): finalists at the Pan American Championships (Bauru, Brazil – April 3 – 8). If the USA, which is already qualified, plays in the final, the bronze medalist will also qualify.
WOMEN
Host: Japan
World League (2 teams): Spain (gold) and Hungary (silver)
World Championships (4 teams): USA (gold), Netherlands (bronze), Italy (4th place) and Australia (6th place).
*Hungary (silver) and Spain (5th place) qualified through the World League:
European Championships (3 teams): Greece (silver), Israel (6th place), France (7th place)
*Spain (gold), Italy (bronze), Netherlands (4th place), and Hungary (5th place) qualified through the World League and the World Championships.
Asian Championships (2 teams): China (gold) and Kazakhstan (bronze)
*Japan (silver) qualified as the host.
Oceania (1 team): New Zealand (TBC)
Africa (1 team): South Africa (TBC)
Americas (2 teams): finalists at the Pan American Championships (Bauru,Brazil – April 3 – 8). If Team USA, which is already qualified, plays in the final, the bronze-medalist will qualify.
