The 2014 FINA Men's Water Polo World League is played between November 2013 and June 2014 and open to all men's water polo national teams. After participating in a preliminary round, eight teams qualify to play in a final tournament, called the Super Final in Dubai, UAE from 16 to 21 June 2014.
In the world league, there are specific rules that do not allow matches to end in a draw. If teams are level at the end of the 4th quarter of any world league match, the match will be decided by a penalty shootout. Teams earn points in the standings in group matches as follows:
The European preliminary round consisted of two group of three teams and a third group of four teams. The winner of each group after the home and away series of games qualified for the Super Final.
The intercontinental tournament will feature teams from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. The teams are split into two groups of four teams with all teams progressing to the knock-out stage. As the hosts of the Super Final (UAE) did not enter a team in the tournament the top five teams from this tournament qualified for the Super Final, instead of the initially allocated four. South Africa withdrew from the tournament before games commenced and were replaced by China II, whose games were exhibition and did not count in the standings. The games were played between 27 May and 1 June 2014 in Shanghai, China.
In the Super Final the eight qualifying teams are split into two groups of four teams with all teams progressing to the knock-out stage. The games were played in Dubai, UAE from 16 to 21 June 2014.