Miguel de Toro Faces a “Perfect, Dreamlike, and Unimaginable” Season
In an interview with AS, Spanish water polo veteran Miguel de Toro described his current season as nothing short of “perfect, dreamlike, and unimaginable.” The European champion with Ferencváros now has his sights set on World Championship gold, with Spain just two victories away. The national team will face Greece in the semifinals this Tuesday.
De Toro exudes positivity and enthusiasm. A key figure in Spain’s water polo squad and a 2022 world champion in Budapest, he’s aiming to recapture that title—this time in Singapore. His joy is understandable: in his debut year abroad with Ferencváros, he claimed the European club title, although the final four tournament held a bittersweet element—many of his former Barceloneta teammates, now reunited in the national squad under David Martín, were on the opposing side.
“This has been the best club season of my entire life. And if we win the World Championship, it’ll be a truly perfect, dreamlike, and unimaginable season for any athlete,” De Toro shared.
Spain previously defeated Greece in the World Cup final this past April, though Greece had struggled in the early stages of this tournament, advancing from the group phase with only one win.
De Toro’s transition to Ferencváros has been seamless. “Everything fell into place—right place, right time,” he reflected. He’s shared this journey with his Hungarian partner and their child, and he’s even taken on the challenge of learning Hungarian. “It’s extremely tough, but I’m picking up more and more. To truly master it? Probably more than ten years!” he joked.
The Spanish player also openly addressed the disappointment from last year’s Paris 2024 Olympics, where Spain finished sixth after losing to Greece in the fifth-place match. “That was a tough blow. In Tokyo 2020, we were a young squad, and just making the semifinals felt like an achievement. But in Paris, we really believed we could win a medal,” he recalled. “Still, we’ve moved on—we weren’t the best back then, nor are we the worst now.”
De Toro also revealed he would’ve loved to face his former club Barceloneta in the European final. “It would’ve been so special. Honestly, even if they had beaten us, I would’ve been happy for them—they’ve chased that title for years and deserve it.”
Finally, he paid tribute to Felipe Perrone, a legendary figure in both Barceloneta and the national team, who plans to retire after the World Championships. “Felipe will leave behind a legacy that’s hard to match. He’s an extraordinary person, and we’ll really miss him. Thankfully, we’ve got young talent coming up who can step in,” De Toro concluded.
