Croatia opened their 2026 European Water Polo Championship campaign in Belgrade with a commanding 20–4 victory over Slovenia (3–1, 5–1, 7–1, 5–1).
Zvonimir Butić led the charge with four goals, while Loren Fatović, Marko Žuvela, Konstantin Harkov, and Filip Kržić each added three. No Slovenian player scored more than once.
From the opening whistle, Croatia dictated the tempo against a visibly weaker opponent. Early strikes from Kharkov and Butić gave Croatia a 2–0 lead, which grew to 3–1 after the first quarter. Fatović’s brace and another goal from Kharkov made it 6–1 midway through the second quarter, and the halftime score stood at 8–2.
The second half was pure domination. Croatia added 12 more goals, sealing a 16-goal win. Kržić and Butić were standouts in the latter stages, combining for five second-half goals. On the defensive end, goalkeepers Marko Bijač and Toni Marcelić were superb, denying Slovenia any chance of a comeback.
Next up: Georgia on Tuesday
Croatia will face Georgia in the second round on Tuesday, followed by Greece on Thursday to close out Group B. The top three teams from each group advance to the next stage, carrying all points earned in the opening round.
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