The next Olympic women’s water polo gold medal match is on Sunday, July 23, 2028, at 3 p.m. Pacific at the Long Beach Aquatics Center, in LA28’s schedule as of July 29, 2026. The tournament grows to 12 teams, and the first women’s matches are on Thursday, July 13, the day before the Games open on July 14.
Spain are the Olympic champions. They beat Australia 11-9 in the Paris 2024 final at La Défense Arena on August 10, 2024, for the country’s first gold in the event. Qualifying for LA28 is still open, so this page names no favorite and no price.
LA28 women’s water polo schedule
All times are Pacific, and LA28 says the schedule can change until the Games end. Every session is at the Long Beach Aquatics Center.
| Stage | Date | Sessions |
|---|---|---|
| Preliminary round | Thursday, July 13, 2028 | 10:00, 14:30 and 19:00, two matches each |
| Preliminary round | Sunday, July 16, 2028 | 10:00, 14:30 and 19:00, two matches each |
| Preliminary round | Tuesday, July 18, 2028 | 10:00, 14:30 and 19:00, two matches each |
| Quarterfinals | Thursday, July 20, 2028 | 11:30 and 17:00, two matches each |
| Semifinals | Friday, July 21, 2028 | 17:00, two matches |
| Bronze medal match | Sunday, July 23, 2028 | 11:30 |
| Gold medal match | Sunday, July 23, 2028 | 15:00 |
That is 18 preliminary matches over three days for 12 teams. Paris had 10.
How Paris 2024 finished
Spain won every match on the way to gold, according to NBC’s report of the final. Against Australia they led only 3-2 at halftime, then scored three goals in two minutes after the break, ESPN reported, and led 11-7 before Australia closed the gap. Bea Ortiz and Maica Garcia Godoy scored seven of Spain’s goals between them, and Alice Williams scored five for Australia.
| Place | Team |
|---|---|
| Gold | Spain |
| Silver | Australia |
| Bronze | Netherlands |
| Fourth | United States |
| Fifth | Hungary |
| Sixth | Italy |
Australia reached the final by beating the United States, the reigning Olympic champions, in the semifinals. The Australian silver was the country’s first water polo medal since the women’s bronze in 2012. The Netherlands took bronze, and the United States left without a medal in fourth.
Betting the LA28 tournament
No gold medal prices for LA28 are quoted here. When a board opens, turn each price into a chance first: -190 implies 65.5% and +600 implies 14.3%. A futures bet is worth making only when you rate the team higher than the price does.
The men’s tournament runs alongside it at the same pool, and our men’s Olympic water polo page covers it. For the rest of the Games, see our Summer Olympics betting guide, the wider guide to betting on the Olympics, the USA gold medal count page and our sportsbook reviews.