Analysis of the game statistics of the top eight teams at the European and World Championships 2020/24 in men’s water polo

Abstract Study aim: The aim of this study was to examine statistical parameters and determine which had the greatest influence on the final score at the European and World Championships in the period of 2020-2024. Material and methods: The analysis included 24 water polo matches, featuring the top 8 placed teams from the last 3 European and World Championships. From the official statistical reports of the matches, 28 statistical parameters were analyzed, which were taken from the Total Waterpolo website. Results: Based on the descriptive statistics, flaws and analysis of the variance of water polo parameters in the game, a total of 7 variables (Total goals, Total goal efficiency, Penalty goals efficiency, Fastbrake goals, Fastbrake shots, Powerplay goals efficiency, Saved shots efficiency) were identified as significant for winning the matches at the European and World Championships 2020-2024, and 6 variables (Total goals, Total shots, Penalty shots, Penalty saved, Penalty goals, Blocked shots) were found to be significantly different between the games at the European and World Championships, while the leading parameters were the number of shots on target and saved shots. Conclusion: In this research, we found that the outcome of a match can be predicted and scientifically explained with 95.8% accuracy, based on the statistical parameters and their analysis.