Spain opened their 2026 Women's Water Polo World Cup Division I campaign in Rotterdam in the most emphatic way available — a 26-10 demolition of Japan in which three different Paulas combined for 13 of the 26 Spanish goals. It was the highest-scoring match of the opening day at the tournament, and a clear early statement from a side that has spent the last 18 months as the front-runner in the women's game.
Paula Camus led the way with five goals. Paula Crespi added four, and Paula Prats matched her with another four. Nina Lowrey chipped in with three. Spain's spread of finishers — five players reaching at least three goals — confirmed that the depth of the Spanish women's programme has only continued to grow since the team's last cycle of major-tournament wins. Japan, ranked far below Spain coming into the World Cup, found themselves overwhelmed in extra-player situations and on counter, and Kako Kawaguchi's three goals were the only meaningful resistance the Japanese could offer.
The other Group A match on day one was tighter and more telling. The United States beat Hungary 12-8, with Jewel Roemer and Emily Ausmus each scoring three for the Americans and Kamilla Farago scoring three for Hungary. The American win was important less for the score than for the manner — USA sent a young, post-Paris Olympic-cycle squad to Rotterdam, and that group passed its first test against a Hungarian side that has historically punished any drop-off in defensive intensity.
Group B opened with two more results that sketched the shape of the tournament. Hosts Netherlands beat Australia 14-8, led by Kittylynn Joustra and Lola Moolhuijzen with three goals apiece. Greece edged Italy 15-11 with Stefania Santa and Eleftheria Plevritou both scoring three; Italy's veteran Roberta Bianconi answered with three of her own.
The early pattern out of Rotterdam was consistent: the favourites — Spain, USA, Netherlands and Italy — all advanced as expected, but the margins of victory varied widely. Spain's demolition of Japan stood out because it suggested a team operating well above its competition. The next two days will tell us whether that gap holds when the field of opponents stiffens, but on the evidence of the opening exchanges, the Spanish are exactly the favourites the World Aquatics rankings said they should be.
