Settebello Wins Bronze at the World Cup

The Italian national water polo team finished the 2026 World Cup in third place, winning the bronze medal. Facing Australia—the host nation of the final round—in the third-place match, the team led by Head Coach Sandro Campagna won 16–10 (1–2, 3–6, 4-3, 2-5), led by Giacomo Cannella, who scored five goals and was the top scorer of the day.

The other goals for Italy were scored by Filippo Ferrero, who netted four, Francesco Condemi, who added three, and Francesco Cassia, Tommaso Gianazza, Matteo Iocchi Gratta, and Alessandro Balzarini, each with one goal. Australia’s top scorers were Nicolas Constantin-Bicari and Jacob Mercep, with three goals each.

In April, Italy advanced from the preliminary round by finishing first in its group, then placing second—behind Spain—in the next stage. Their run in the knockout stage began on July 23 with an 18-12 victory over Georgia, followed two days later by a narrow 10-9 semifinal loss to Greece.

It was the Greeks themselves who, by defeating Hungary 15–14 in the final, were crowned champions of the event (whose name translates to “World Cup” but should not be confused with the World Championships, the most important event held as part of the World Aquatics Championships). For Italy, this marks its seventh podium finish in the World Cup, the second as the third-place finisher: the all-time record also includes one gold medal, dating back to 1993, four silver medals (1989, 1995, 1999, and 2023), and another bronze medal (1983).