The Italian men’s water polo national team, widely known as the Settebello, secured the gold medal at the Taranto 2026 Mediterranean Games by defeating Montenegro 18-14 in the final at the sold-out Stadio del Nuoto Torre d’Ayala, according to official competition records. Led by head coach Alessandro Campagna, the victory marks Italy’s first Mediterranean Games title in the sport in 33 years—dating back to the 1993 edition in Languedoc-Roussillon—and the seventh gold medal in the nation’s history within the tournament.
How the Settebello Secured the Gold Medal in Taranto
The final began at a blistering pace at the Taranto venue. According to match reports from Sportface, Tomas Alfonso Pozo opened the scoring just 14 seconds into the contest, followed quickly by goals from Andrea Mladossich and Matteo Iocchi Gratta to stake Italy to an early 3-0 lead. Montenegro responded with a four-goal surge to take a 4-3 advantage before Andrea Condemi and Mladossich converted in the dying moments of the first period to wrestle back a 5-4 lead for the azzurri.
Italy accelerated through the second quarter, building an 11-8 cushion by halftime behind offensive contributions from Carnesecchi, Occhione, and Balzarini. The Italian defense weathered a consistent physical push from the Balkan side throughout the third period, maintaining a three-goal margin at 14-11 heading into the final eight minutes.
Mladossich Leads the Charge as Italy Controls the Finish
In the fourth quarter, Mladossich cemented his role as the game’s focal point, finishing with a team-high five goals. According to match logs, late-game goals from Ferrero and a long-range strike from Condemi stretched the Italian advantage to five goals inside the final two minutes, rendering a late Montenegrin reply little more than consolation as the score settled at 18-14.
The scoring distribution highlighted a balanced Italian attack alongside Mladossich’s five goals: Occhione and Iocchi Gratta chipped in three goals apiece, Ferrero and Condemi added two each, while Alfonso Pozo, Carnesecchi, and Balzarini each contributed one. The victory caps an undefeated run through Group B and a narrow 11-10 semifinal win over Serbia.
Broader Context for the Italian Delegation at Taranto 2026
The water polo gold served as a fitting exclamation point for the Italian delegation at the Taranto Games. CONI confirmed that Italy finished atop the overall medal table for the sixth edition dating back to Almeria 2005, amassing a total of 224 podium finishes comprising 74 golds, 78 silvers, and 72 bronzes. Taranto 2026 stands as Italy’s second-most prolific gold medal haul in the history of the Mediterranean Games, trailing only the 76 golds captured at Bari 1997.
For coach Campagna, the triumph adds an elite managerial chapter to a storied career that already included three Mediterranean Games gold medals won as an active player in 1987, 1991, and 1993. The Settebello’s podium appearance also breaks a drought in the tournament stretching back 17 years to the bronze medal earned at Pescara 2009.
Final Standings and Podium Results
In the secondary medal matches of the men’s water polo tournament, Serbia claimed the bronze medal by defeating Spain 12-8. Further down the classification table, France secured fifth place with a 14-12 victory over Greece, and Turkey captured seventh place by overcoming Slovenia 15-9, according to tournament brackets reported by Sportface.
