Greece’s men’s national water polo team returned home to a warm welcome after capturing its first-ever World Cup gold medal, a landmark achievement that sparked celebrations and national pride across the country.
Greece claimed the title by defeating Hungary 15-14 in the World Cup final, securing the first gold medal in the competition’s history for the men’s national team.
Dimitris Skoumpakis led the scoring with five of Greece’s 15 goals, while Konstantinos Kakaris, Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis, and Alexandros Papanastasiou also played key roles in the victory.
The decisive moment came in the closing seconds when Stylianos Argyropoulos scored the winning goal with just 12 seconds remaining, sealing the historic triumph.
Speaking to MEGA television upon the team’s return, Argyropoulos thanked supporters for their enthusiastic reception.
“It feels wonderful,” he said. “From Sydney until now, we’ve received nothing but love from the people. Thank you all so much.”
Reflecting on the significance of the victory, Argyropoulos said the title proved the team’s long-held belief in its potential.
“It means so much to us. It shows that what we’ve dreamed about and worked toward is possible—and we’ve achieved it,” he said. “If we play the way we know we can and remain humble, we’re the best team in the world. If we keep working hard, we’re the best team in Europe and in the world.”
Recalling the decisive goal, Argyropoulos said he understood the pressure of the final attack but quickly shifted his focus back to defense after celebrating.
“I knew it was our last attack and that the goal had to go in,” he said. “But after celebrating for a few seconds with Skoumpakis, I looked at the clock and realized we had to concentrate on defending. I didn’t have much time to enjoy it.”
Several teammates also reflected on the achievement.
Konstantinos Gkiouvetsis called it one of the most important moments of his career and expressed hope it would not be the team’s last gold medal. He also thanked Greek fans in Australia, who began celebrating with the squad before its return home.
Goalkeeper Panagiotis Tzortzatos, who was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper, described the victory as unprecedented for the team and said it should serve as a springboard toward an even bigger objective.
“Our biggest goal is the Olympic Games,” he said. “For years we knew we could do it, but now we’ve finally proven it in the pool.”
Alexandros Papanastasiou said winning the first gold medal in the history of Greece’s men’s national team was a milestone after years of coming close.
“In sports, you have to work hard to reach the top,” he said. “We’ve finally done it, and we hope to stay there.”
