Alvaro Granados, Foteini Tricha Named World Aquatics Water Polo Players of the Year
Spain’s Alvaro Granados and Foteini Tricha of Greece were named World Aquatics’ Water Polo Players of the Year this week.
Both players led their teams to gold medals at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, Greece getting back to the women’s summit for the first time since 2011.
Granados, 27, was named the most valuable player by media in Singapore. He scored 21 goals in the tournament, including five in a 15-13 win over Hungary in the final, Spain’s first world title since 2022.
Spain won the Division I World Aquatics Men’s Water Polo World Cup tournament in January in Romania, then claimed the final in April in Montenegro. Granados changed clubs this year, moving from his second stint at CN Athletic-Barceloneta to Italian giants Pro Recco.
Tricha wasn’t named MVP in Singapore, but she was on the all-tournament team as part of the Greek championship. Greece overcame a loss to Hungary in the first group-stage game, then avenged the loss in the final. Tricha scored 25 goals to power the Greek team, making her the high-scorer in the women’s tournament.
“We played really good in this tournament,” Tricha said in Singapore. “We deserved this gold. The only thing that I can say is that we have to continue showing this standard. There are many teams that are really good. The championships was really competitive.”
Tricha is just 20 years old. She helped Greece’s Under-20 team in a bronze medal at the World Aquatics U20 Championships in Brazil. The Greek senior team won the Women’s World Cup final in Chengdu, China, ahead of Worlds.
