Montenegro’s national water polo team faces Greece in the quarterfinals of the 2026 World Cup Superfinal in Sydney on Thursday at 8:45 AM local time, with a place in the semifinals, and a shot at the one major international medal that has eluded them, on the line. The “Sharks” have been European champions, world vice champions, World League winners, and Olympic semifinalists, but they have never reached the medal round of the World Cup. That drought could end in Australia, where Dejan Savić’s squad earned its place by winning Division 2 in Malta earlier this year, defeating Kazakhstan, Argentina, Great Britain, Romania, France, and Georgia along the way.
The appointment of Savić in November 2024 was itself a statement of ambition. The legendary Serbian coach, who led Serbia to two Olympic golds, three European titles, and a World Championship during his decade long tenure, became the first foreign head coach in Montenegro’s history. His task was clear, restore a team that had fallen out of the top four at major tournaments for three consecutive years. Savić balances his national team duties with a club role in Saudi Arabia, but his focus has sharpened ahead of Sydney. The squad he has assembled includes goalkeeper Darko Đurović, defenders Jovan Vujović and Đuro Radović, and attackers Dušan Matković and Strahinja Gojković, a blend of experience and youth that Savić believes can compete with anyone.
Greece represents a formidable obstacle. The Hellenic team has been at the top of European and world water polo for years, and the two sides know each other well. At the 2025 World Championships, Montenegro edged Greece 10-9 in a tense group stage match, surviving Greek pressure throughout and holding on despite a red card to Gojković. But the World Cup is a different stage, and Greece’s pedigree, including a runners up finish to Spain in the 2025 Podgorica final, makes them favorites on paper. The winner of Thursday’s clash will face either Italy or Georgia in the semifinals, while the other side of the bracket features Spain-Australia and Hungary-Croatia. The last two World Cup titles have gone to Spain, who defeated Greece in Podgorica in 2025 and Italy in Los Angeles in 2023.
For Dušan Matković, the 25 year old star who carried the Montenegrin flag at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics closing ceremony, the match is personal. “We are ready, I have worked very hard in the last few weeks, and all the preparations we have made have been carried out at the highest possible level,” he said from Sydney. Matković knows the pain of early elimination, last year’s Superfinal in Podgorica saw Montenegro lose to Croatia 12-11 in the quarterfinals, forcing them to play out placement matches for fifth place. “We have a match against Greece ahead of us and I think it’s unnecessary to talk about what kind of team they are,” he added, acknowledging the scale of the challenge while projecting calm. He also issued a direct appeal to fans back home: “I would like to take this opportunity to invite our fans to follow us in this tournament.”
The stakes extend beyond any single tournament. Montenegro is a nation of roughly 620,000 people that punches far above its weight in water polo, and the sport functions as a source of national pride that transcends politics. A World Cup semifinal would validate years of investment in the sport and Savić’s controversial decision to take the job. A loss would mean another year of wondering what might have been. The 8:45 AM start time in Sydney translates to late evening in Montenegro, and fans across the country will be watching. For the Sharks, Thursday is not just another game. It is the chance to finally scratch the one name off the list of missing honors.
