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Italy
FINA code	ITA
Nickname(s)	Il Settebello
Association	Italian Swimming Federation
Confederation	LEN (Europe)
Head coach	Sandro Campagna
Asst coach	Amedeo Pomilio
Captain	Francesco Di Fulvio
FINA ranking (since 2008)
Current	8 (as of 9 August 2021)
Highest	2 (2012, 2016)
Lowest	9 (2008, 2009, 2010)
Olympic Games (team statistics)
Appearances	22 (first in 1920)
Best result	(1948, 1960, 1992)
World Championship
Appearances	21 (first in 1973)
Best result	(1978, 1994, 2011, 2019)
World Cup
Appearances	12 (first in 1979)
Best result	(1993)
World League
Appearances	19 (first in 2002)
Best result	(2022)
European Championship
Appearances	33 (first in 1927)
Best result	(1947, 1993, 1995)
Europa Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2018)
Best result	(2018)
Mediterranean Games
Appearances	17 (first in 1955)
Best result	(1955, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1991, 1993)
Media
Website	federnuoto.it
Medal record
Olympic Games
World Championships
World Cup
World League
European Championship
Europa Cup
Mediterranean Games
	Last updated: 5 September 2021

The Italy national water polo team represents Italy in men's international water polo competitions and is controlled by Federnuoto (the Italian Aquatics Federation). The national men's team has the nickname of "Settebello" (lit. 'Nice Seven'), the term for the seven of diamonds in the Italian card game scopa and a pun on a standard water polo team having seven players.

The Italian men's water polo team has won 8 Olympic medals, 7 World Championships, 5 World Cup, 11 European Championships medals and 3 World League medals, making them one of the most successful men's water polo teams in the world. They have won a combined twelve championships in those five competitions, with the World League, the last competition which Italy won in 2022.

History

Water Polo became popular in Italy soon after 1899, when an exhibition match was played at the Bath of Diana in Milan, with the match being described in the press as: "like football but more tiring and difficult, requiring energy and strength beyond the ordinary".^[1]

Although a domestic league was soon established, the Italy national water polo team did not first compete at the Olympic Games until the 1920 Olympics, in Antwerp, Belgium, where they were forced to forfeit their first round match, before losing 5–1 to Greece and being eliminated.

The national team first fulfilled their potential at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, England, when they went undefeated for the whole tournament to claim their first gold medal in the discipline.

The Italian team reclaimed the title of Olympic champions in front of a home crowd at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy. Italy won their third Olympic title at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, beating the hosts and tournament favourites Spain 9–8 after extra time in a thrilling final. Only Hungary (9), and Great Britain (4) have more Olympic titles.

The Italy national side have also won four World Championships, in 1978, 1994, 2011 and 2019, and the World Cup once in 1993. Italy also claimed their first European Championship in 1947.

Competitive record

Competition				Total
Olympic Games	3	2	3	8
World Championship	4	4	1	9
World Cup	1	4	1	6
World League	1	3	1	5
European Championship	3	2	7	12
Europa Cup	0	0	1	1
Universiade	4	4	6	14
Mediterranean Games	6	6	2	14
Total	22	25	22	69

Results

Olympic Games

Year^[2]	Position	Pld	W	D	L
1900	Did not participate
1904
1908
1912
1920	10th	2	0	0	2
1924	11th	1	0	0	1
1928	Did not participate
1932
1936
1948		7	6	1	0
1952		8	6	0	2
1956	4th	6	3	0	3
1960		6	5	1	0
1964	4th	6	3	0	3
1968	4th	9	6	1	2
1972	6th	8	3	2	3
1976		8	4	3	1
1980	8th	8	4	1	3
1984	7th	7	4	2	1
1988	7th	7	3	2	2
1992		7	5	2	0
1996		8	7	0	1
2000	5th	8	6	0	2
2004	8th	7	4	0	3
2008	9th	8	4	0	4
2012		8	5	1	2
2016		8	5	0	3
2020	7th	8	4	2	2
2024	7th	8	4	2	2
Total	22/28	151	91	18	42

World Championship

Year	Position	Pld	W	D	L
1973	4th	8	5	0	3
1975		8	4	2	2
1978		8	5	3	0
1982	9th	7	5	0	2
1986		7	5	0	2
1991	6th	7	4	0	3
1994		7	7	0	0
1998	5th	8	5	1	2
2001	4th	8	4	1	3
2003		6	5	0	1
2005	8th	7	2	0	5
2007	5th	7	5	0	2
2009	11th	6	2	0	4
2011		6	6	0	0
2013	4th	7	5	0	2
2015	4th	7	3	1	3
2017	6th	7	4	1	2
2019		6	6	0	0
2022		6	4	0	2
2023	5th	6	5	0	1
2024		7	5	2	0
Total	21/21	147	96	11	40

FINA World Cup

1979 – 6th place^[2]
1983 – Bronze medal
1985 – 5th place
1987 – 5th place
1989 – Silver medal
1993 – Gold medal
1995 – Silver medal
1997 – 5th place
1999 – Silver medal
2002 – 4th place
2006 – 5th place
2023 – Silver medal

FINA World League

2002 – Semi-final round^[2]
2003 – Silver medal
2004 – 4th place
2005 – Semi-final round
2006 – Preliminary round
2007 – Preliminary round
2008 – 7th place
2009 – 5th place
2010 – Preliminary round
2011 – Silver medal
2012 – Bronze medal
2013 – Preliminary round
2014 – Preliminary round
2015 – 7th place
2016 – 4th place
2017 – Silver medal
2018 – Did not participate
2019 – Preliminary round
2020 – 4th place
2022 – Gold medal

European Championship

1927 – 12th place
1934 – 10th place
1938 – 5th place
1947 – Gold medal
1950 – 4th place
1954 – Bronze medal
1958 – 4th place
1962 – 8th place
1966 – 4th place
1970 – 4th place
1974 – 5th place
1977 – Bronze medal
1981 – 6th place
1983 – 7th place
1985 – 4th place
1987 – Bronze medal
1989 – Bronze medal
1991 – 4th place
1993 – Gold medal
1995 – Gold medal
1997 – 6th place
1999 – Bronze medal
2001 – Silver medal
2003 – 9th place
2006 – 5th place
2008 – 5th place
2010 – Silver medal
2012 – 4th place
2014 – Bronze medal
2016 – 6th place
2018 – 4th place
2020 – 6th place
2022 – 4th place
2024 – Bronze medal
2026 – Qualified

Europa Cup

2018 – Bronze medal

Mediterranean Games

1951 – Unknown
1955 – Gold medal
1959 – Silver medal
1963 – Gold medal
1967 – Silver medal
1971 – Silver medal
1975 – Gold medal
1979 – Silver medal
1983 – Bronze medal
1987 – Gold medal
1991 – Gold medal
1993 – Gold medal
1997 – 4th place
2001 – Silver medal
2005 – Silver medal
2009 – Bronze medal
2013 – 4th place
2018 – 5th place
2022 – 4th place

Current squad

Roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics.

The roster was announced on 7 July 2024.^[3]

Head coach: Sandro Campagna^[4]

References

^ "FEDERAZIONE - Federazione Italiana Nuoto". Archived from the original on 5 January 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2013. History of Italian Water Polo
^ ^a ^b ^c "HistoFINA – Water polo medalists and statistics" (PDF). fina.org. FINA. September 2019. pp. 4, 14, 25, 40, 48. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
^ "Olimpiadi di Parigi. I tredici del ct Sandro Campagna". federnuoto.it. 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
^ "Team roster: Italy" (PDF). Olympics.com. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.