The Croatian men's U18 water polo national team has become the new world champions following an exciting final held in Rio Maior, Portugal. In a dramatic finish, the young water polo players defeated the USA national team with a total score of 21:20, after the regulation part of the match ended in a 14:14 draw. The decision on the gold medal was made in a dramatic penalty shootout, through which the young Croatian athletes confirmed the top quality of their water polo school. With this historic triumph, the junior version of the celebrated 'Barakuda' returned to the world throne exactly ten years after achieving the same success at the 2016 World Championship in Podgorica. The match provided top-tier water polo performance and a fight to the very end, securing the Croatian representatives a place at the top of the world and demonstrating a bright future for Croatian water polo.