Agility, precision, speed, accuracy, stamina, killer instinct… Timeless talents who brought the game to another level.
Rita Keszthelyi-Nagy
National team: Hungary
Rita Keszthelyi-Nagy, currently playing for USVE, was named Hungarian best player of the year on seven occasions from 2011. Her biggest success so far is a gold medal from the European Championship in Belgrade 2016. where she was also the top scorer of the tournament. She also won a bronze medal in World Championship in Barcelona 2013. Yesterday she celebrated her 29th birthday, so we can expect many more medals in her collection in the upcoming years. –VOTE
Mercedesz Stieber
National team: Hungary
Mercedesz Stieber played for Hungary for 19 years. She won her first medal at major competitions in 1989, and the last one in 2008. Stieber collected three World Championships trophies (gold – 1994 and 2005, and silver – 2001), eight at the European Championships (gold – 1991 and 2001, silver – 1989, 1995, 2003, bronze – 1993, 2006 and 2008), four in the World Cup (gold – 2002, bronze – 1989, 1993, 1995) and silver in the 2004 World League. Mercedesz won six titles in the LEN competitions for clubs, playing for five different clubs – three in the Euro League (Szentes – 1993, Orizzonte 2002, and Florentia – 2007), and three LEN Trophies (Palermo – 2000, Imperia – 2012 and 2015). –VOTE
Jennifer Pareja
National team: Spain
The year 2013 was the highlight of Jennifer Pareja’s career. She was named the Best Female Water Polo Player of World by FINA and received the LEN’s award for the Best European player of the Year. In 2013, Pareja won the gold medal at the World Championships and was voted for the MVP of the tournament. Besides the WCH title, she has one Olympic medal (silver – 2012), and two at the European Championships (gold-2014 and silver – 2008). Playing for Sabadell, Pareja clinched four winning trophies in the Euro League (2011, 2013, 2014, and 2016). –VOTE
Catharina van der Sloot
National team: Netherlands
Catharina van der Sloot was the Best European Player of the Year in 2018, by LEN. That year was the most successful in her international career, which has lasted since 2009. There are seven medals in Catharina’s treasury: silver at the 2015 World Championships, four European medals (gold – 2018, silver – 2014 and 2016, bronze – 2010), two in the World League (silver – 2018, bronze – 2015). Playing for Orizzonte Catania, Van der Sloot won the 2019 LEN Trophy. –VOTE
Roser Tarrago
National team: Spain
Roser Tarrago reached the Olympic podium in London in 2012, when Spain was the runner-up. Besides the Olympic silver, she has six medals with the national team: two at the World Championships (gold – 2013, silver – 2019), two at the European Championships (gold – 2014 and 2020), the bronze in the World Cup (2014), and the silver in the World League (2016). She was voted the MVP of the 2019 World Championships. –VOTE
Sofia Konukh
National team: Russia
Sofia Konukh is one of four ladies who played at the female Olympic water polo tournament four times and the 4th-best all-time goalscorer in Olympic history (31). Konukh won bronze at the first women’s Olympic tournament (2000). She finished 3rd at the World Championships (2003, 2007,2009, 2011), has seven medals at the European Championships (gold – 2006, 2008, 2010, silver – 1997, bronze – 1999, 2001, 2003), bronze in the 2006 World Cup and medals in the World League. She was Russia’s captain. In 2010, LEN voted Konukh the European Water Polo Player of the Year. –VOTE
Roberta Bianconi
National team: Italy
Roberta Bianconi won two awards for the LEN European Water Polo Player of the Year (2015 and 2016) and became the first female player named the best in Europe multiple times. She has won one Olympic medal (silver – 2015), a bronze at the World Championships (2015). Bianconi has reached the podium at the European championships two times (gold – 2012 and silver – 2016) and has three silver medals in the World League. She has won two titles in the Euro League (2012 – Pro Recco, 2015 – Olympiacos) and two in the LEN Trophy (2011 – Rapallo, 2019 – Orizzonte). –VOTE
Iefke van Belkum
National team: Netherlands
Iefke van Belkum was part of the Dutch team that brought the only Olympic water polo gold medal in the Netherlands (2008). Besides the Olympic title won in Beijing, Iefke won the bronze at the 2010 European Championship. At club level, she won the LEN Trophy two times (2010 with Ethnikos and 2013 with Sturm 2012). She was voted the LEN European Water Polo Player of 2009. –VOTE
Maggie Steffens
National team: USA
Margaret Ann Steffens “Maggie” is the only lady who was voted the Best Water Polo Player of the Year by FINA two times (2010 and 2014). She ranks second on the all-time scoring list in Olympic history (38 goals). Steffens has won two Olympic titles (2012 and 2016). Maggie has a total of 21 medals representing the USA (20 gold medals). Besides two Olympic golds, the other trophies in her treasury are three at the World Championships (gold -2015, 2017, 2019), three at the Pan American Games (gold -2011, 2015, 2019), three titles in the FINA World Cup (2010, 2014, 2018) and nine gold and one bronze medal in the World League. Steffens, who has been the USA captain, won the 2019 Euro League playing for Sabadell. She received many individual awards, including the MVP trophies at the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games. –VOTE
Ekaterina Prokofyeva
National team: Russia
Ekaterina Prokofyeva, the first winner of the Total Player Award for ladies (2018), won the Olympic bronze in Rio 2016. She has collected three bronze medals at the World Championships (2009, 2011, 2017). Prokofyeva has played three times in the finals of the European championships (gold – 2008 and 2010, silver – 2020), has one silver in the World Cup (2018), and five medals in the World League (gold, silver, and three bronzes). Ekaterina is a leader of the currently best Russian team Kinef, with which she has taken two Euro Leagues (2017 and 2018). –VOTE
Tony Azevedo
National team: USA
Undoubtedly, Tony Azevedo is the best American water polo player of the first two decades of the 21st century. He was part of the American team which upset favorites and won the silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games. Azevedo has five consecutive titles of the Pan American Games champion (1999, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2015) and two medals in the FINA World League. He was the top scorer at the 2007 World Championships. –VOTE
Tamas Kasas
National team: Hungary
A five-time Olympian Tamas Kasas collected 22 medals playing for Hungary. His most important trophies are three Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004, 2008). Besides, he has one title of the World Champion (2003), two European gold medals (1997, 1999), two gold medals at the World Cup (1995 and 1999), and two titles in the World League. Kasas won the Euroleague/Champions League five times (1998 – Posillipo, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012 – Pro Recco), has two LEN Cups (1997 – Ujpest and 2005 – Savona). He was named the MVP of the 2002 FINA World Cup, the MVP of the 2011 Euroleague Final Four, etc.
Kasas has been a member of the International Swimming Hall of Fame since 2016. –VOTE
Sandro Sukno
National team: Croatia
Sukno wrote the history of our website as the first winner of the Total Player Award in 2017. Three years ago, he led Croatia to the title at the 2017 World Championships. Sukno was the Olympic champion in London 2012, won the gold medal at the 2010 Europeans, and in the 2012 World League. Besides four gold medals, he has nine trophies with Croatia at major competitions. Playing for Pro Recco, Sukno won the 2012 Champions League. He had to retire at the age of 29 because of heart problems. Sukno was the best scorer of the 2013 World Championships (with Aleksandar Ivovic) and at the 2012 European Championships. –VOTE
Andrija Prlainovic
National teams: Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia
Andrija Prlainovic has collected 28 medals with the national team. He has climbed the podium at each of three Olympic appearances (2016 – gold, 2008 and 2012 – bronze). Prlainovic clinched two titles of the World Champion (2009 and 2015), five European golds (2006, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018), and 11 titles in the World League. He is the only player who lifted Champions League trophies with four different clubs (Partizan – 2011, Pro Recco – 2012 and 2015, Crvena Zvezda – 2013, and Szolnok – 2017). Prlainovic was the MVP of the 2016 European Championship, and at the 2013 and 2017 Champions League final tournaments. Prlainovic was the best scorer of the 2012 London Olympics and Serbia’s best athlete in the same year. –VOTE
Nikola Janovic
National teams: Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro/Montenegro
Nikola Janovic played for three national teams and won medals representing each of the countries. He has five gold medals (2005 World Championships, 2001 and 2008 European Championship, 2005 and 2009 World League) and three silver or bronze trophies. From 2009 until retirement in 2016, he was Montenegro captain. In 2013, he was given the award for the best Montenegrin athlete of the year. –VOTE
Peter Biros
National team: Hungary
Peter Biros was a member of the Hungarian teams that won three consecutive Olympic gold medals (2000, 2004, 2008). He collected 20 medals, representing Hungary, including gold medals at the 2003 World Championships, 1999 European Championship, 2003 and 2004 World League, and 1999 World Cup. Biros won the 2004 Euroleague (with Honved) and the 1999 LEN Trophy (Ujpest). He was the best European water polo player of the year in 2008, by LEN.
In 2016, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale. –VOTE
Felipe Perrone
National teams: Brazil/Spain
The second winner of the Total Player Award, Felipe Perrone (a laureate in 2018), has medals won at World, European, and American continental competitions in his collection. He has won a total of 12 medals, including two silvers at the World Championships (2009 and 2019), and two second places at the European Championships (2018 and 2020) with Spain, two silver medals at the Pan American Games with Brazil (2003 and 2015). Perrone won the trophy in three editions of the Champions League (2012 – Pro Recco, 2014 – Barceloneta, 2016 – Jug) and the 2002 LEN Trophy with Barcelona. He was voted the MVP of the 2016 Champions League Final Six. –VOTE
Pietro Figlioli
National team: Australia/Italy
Figlioli started his international career as a member of the national team Australia. He took two bronze medals in the World League with the “Aussie Sharks” (2007 and 2008). In 2009, he became an Italian citizen. Figlioli won two gold medals with Italy at the World Championships (2011 and 2019), Olympic silver (2012) and Olympic bronze (2016), and five silver or bronze medals at other competitions organized by FINA or LEN. At the club level, he won four titles in the Champions League (2007, 2009, 2012, 2015) as a member of Pro Recco. –VOTE
Denes Varga
National team: Hungary
Denes Varga, the winner of the 2019 Total Player Award, has collected 14 medals at major competitions. There are three golds in his treasury – from the 2008 Olympic Games, the 2013 World Championships, and the 2020 European Championship. Denes Varga lifted two trophies in the Champions League (2017 – Szolnok and 2019 – Ferencvaros) and the 2018 LEN Euro Cup with Ferencvaros. Besides the 2019 Total Player Award, Varga received several individual honors. In 2013, he was the best European player by LEN and the World Water Polo Athlete of the Year by FINA. He won the MVP award at three big competitions (2013 World Championships, 2014 and 2020 European Championships). He was picked as the best player of the Champions League final tournaments twice (2012 and 2019). –VOTE
Aleksandar Sapic
National teams: Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia
Aleksandar Sapic, the all-time top scorer of the national teams of Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro/Serbia (981 goals), won three Olympic medals (silver – 2004, bronze – 2000 and 2008). He has 19 medals at IOC, FINA and LEN tournaments. Among them are nine golds (World Championships 2005, European Championship – 2003 and 2006, World Cup – 2006, and five titles in the World League). Sapic was the MVP of the 2005 World Championships and the 2003 European Championship. He was the best scorer at the World Championships four times (1998, 2001, 2003, 2005), three times at the European Championship (2003, 2006, 2008), twice at the Olympic Games (2000 and 2004), etc. Sapic helped Becej win the 2000 Champions League and has two LEN Trophies (Savona and Sturm). –VOTE
Christos Afroudakis
National team: Greece
For most of his career, Christos Afroudakis has played for two Greek best clubs (Vouliagmeni and Olympiacos). Still, his most significant success at club level is the 2005 Euro League as a Posillipo’s player. He has five bronze medals with the national team – at the World Championships (2005 and 2015) and in the World League (2004, 2006, 2016). –VOTE
