The tournament adds another major international water polo event to Croatia’s calendar, following the country’s recent experience hosting the European Championships in Split in 2022 and in Zagreb and Dubrovnik in 2024. The new 4×4 format is expected to bring a different dynamic to the traditional game, with fewer players on the field and a greater emphasis on speed, individual skills and quick transitions.
Water polo has a particularly strong tradition in Dubrovnik, which has long been one of the sport’s most important centres in Croatia. The city is also closely associated with Jug Dubrovnik, one of Europe’s most successful water polo clubs, further strengthening its connection with the sport.
Croatia enters the event on the back of an exceptionally successful summer for its younger national teams. The country’s youth selections have won two world titles and one European title, providing additional optimism for the future of Croatian water polo.
The organisation of the inaugural 4×4 World Championship is also part of Croatia’s broader strategy of using major international sporting events to promote the country and its destinations. Dubrovnik, in particular, gains an opportunity to combine its strong sporting tradition with its status as one of the Adriatic’s best-known tourist destinations.
The event is expected to bring national teams, officials and visitors from around the world to Dubrovnik, while giving fans an opportunity to see a new format of one of Croatia’s most successful team sports.
With the first World Aquatics 4×4 championship, Dubrovnik is therefore not only hosting another major water polo event, but also becoming the setting for the debut of a new format that could add another dimension to the international development of the sport.
