Unai Aguirre

Unai Aguirre
Personal information
Full nameUnai Aguirre Rubio
NationalitySpanish
Born (2002-07-14) 14 July 2002
Barcelona, Spain
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
SportWater polo
Medal record
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2022 Budapest Team
Gold medal – first place 2025 Singapore Team
Bronze medal – third place 2023 Fukuoka Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Doha Team
European Championships
Gold medal – first place 2024 Zagreb Team
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Split Team
World Cup
Gold medal – first place 2023 Los Angeles

Unai Aguirre Rubio[a][1] (born 14 July 2002) is a Spanish water polo goalkeeper who plays for CN Atlètic-Barceloneta and the Spain men's national water polo team. He is generally considered one of the best water-polo goalkeepers in the world.[2][3][4][5][6][7]

Career

Aguirre debuted internationally for Spain at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, serving as a backup goalkeeper.[8] Since then, he has become Spain’s first-choice goalkeeper, leading them to multiple international titles.

At the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Aguirre helped Spain claim the gold medal in a penalty shootout against Italy. He was named the tournament's Best Goalkeeper, becoming the first Spanish male player to receive this honor.[9] In 2023, Aguirre repeated his success at the 2023 Men's Water Polo World Cup, again earning the Best Goalkeeper award after making 16 saves in the final against Greece.[10]

At the 2024 European Water Polo Championship in Zagreb, Aguirre led Spain to their first European title since 2020. His performance in the semifinal against Italy – which included several acrobatic saves and a critical penalty block – was described as "an exhibition of reflexes and composure."[11] Notably, Aguirre scored a rare goalkeeper goal from his own goal line during a group-stage match against Montenegro at the 2024 European Championship, catching the opposing goalkeeper off guard.[12]

Playing style

Aguirre is celebrated for his agility, mental toughness, and ability to perform under pressure. He has been praised for his "spectacular foot saves" and vocal leadership in the pool.[13]

Notes

  1. ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Aguirre and the second or maternal family name is Rubio.

References

  1. ^ "XXXII JJOO Tokyo 2020 - Natación / Waterpolo: Hombres". COE.es (in Spanish). Comité Olímpico Español. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Unai Aguirre: A lot of equality in quality; difficulty will be maximum". Total Waterpolo. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Unai Aguirre". Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Archived from the original on 26 July 2021. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Unai Aguirre: A lot of equality in quality; difficulty will be maximum". Total Waterpolo. 6 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2025. Many consider him the best water polo goalkeeper in the world at the moment.
  5. ^ "I'm not going to be the next Jesús Rollán; I'm going to be the next Unai Aguirre". Total Waterpolo. 15 December 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2025. Aguirre is only twenty years old, but he is quickly becoming one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
  6. ^ Sierra, Jordi (21 July 2023). "Unai Aguirre, el mejor portero del mundo". La Vanguardia (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 July 2025. también cuenta con el mejor portero del mundo
  7. ^ "David Martín: "We defend as a team and in addition, Unai is a spectacular goalkeeper"". WaterPoloRoster. 11 January 2025. Retrieved 22 July 2025. Unai is having a great tournament and he's a spectacular goalkeeper.
  8. ^ "Unai Aguirre Olympic Results". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Spain beat Italy in shootout to win men's water polo gold". BBC Sport. 3 July 2022. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Spain retain Men's Water Polo World Cup crown". European Aquatics. 2 July 2023. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  11. ^ "Waterpolo: Unai Aguirre brilla con paradas espectaculares en el Europeo". RTVE. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Unai Aguirre scores from own goal line in European Championship". SwimSwam. 12 January 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Insight into the goalkeeper's mind: You can't save every ball". World Aquatics. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2025.


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