*Photo copyright The Greek Herald / Andriana Simos
The Greek men’s national water polo team claimed its first-ever major gold medal, defeating Hungary 15-14 in a thrilling World Cup final in front of passionated Greek fans.
Konstantinos Skoumpakis delivered a sensational performance, scoring five goals, while Stylianos Kakaris, Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis and Dimitrios Papanastasiou all played decisive roles. Captain Stelios Argyropoulos had the final say, netting the winning goal in the closing attack to send Greece to the top of the world.
The victory finally ended Greece’s long wait for a major title, putting an end to the painful run of five lost finals that had haunted the national team.
Head coach Thodoris Vlachos’ side stood firm against a Hungarian team that looked unstoppable with the extra man, converting six of their ten power-play opportunities.
Greece controlled the opening half, surrendering only an equaliser moments before the interval. Skoumpakis lit up the contest with two thunderous strikes, while Kakaris proved unstoppable at centre forward, repeatedly exposing the Hungarian defence.
The second half turned into a fierce battle, with the lead changing hands and Hungary moving in front for the first time. Greece refused to buckle, responding with four crucial goals inspired by Skoumpakis and Pouros.
Hungary’s Krisztián Manhercz levelled the score at 14-14 with just 45 seconds remaining, erasing Greece’s three-goal advantage. But when it mattered most, the captain rose to the occasion. Stelios Argyropoulos buried the winner in the dying moments, sealing a historic triumph and crowning Greece as World Cup champions.
