After 48 games on the shores of Xinglong Lake in Chengdu, Argentina women and Germany men have been crowned The World Games Chengdu 2025 champions.

The sixth and final day of beach handball action concluded with all 16 teams in competition, starting with the 5/6 and 7/8 placement games in the morning session and medal matches in the afternoon/early evening session.

Repeat of 2024 IHF Beach Handball Women’s World Championship final goes Argentina’s way

Seven years after winning gold at the Youth Olympic Games on home sand in Buenos Aires, Argentina women have their second global beach handball gold.

They defeated defending champions Germany 2-1 (14:20, 22:12, SO 7:2) after a strong second set saw them 6:0 ahead in under two minutes and it could have been 8:0 had Florencia Gallo not shot over.

The resulting shoot-out was dominated by the South Americans as they went 4:0 ahead after Isabel Kattner had missed for Germany, this was followed up later by a Lena Klingler shot which was smothered by Alma Molina in the goal which meant that Fiorella Corimberto needed the single point for glory – and she delivered again, the Buenos Aires 2018 gold medallist ensuring a second top spot in her – and Argentina’s – career.

The bronze medal match saw a clash between the recently-crowned European champions Spain and ANOC World Beach Games champions Denmark with Spain easing to a 2-0 (20:16, 18:10) win, Mariam Gonzalez Llambrich scoring 15 points. 

Spain, playing with a squad of just nine after defensive specialist Violeta Gonzalez Poudereux picked up an injury on the eve of the event, have now won four events this year, with two IHF Beach Handball Global Tour stage victories to their name in addition to the European title earned in July.

In the placement matches, Sofia Goncalves’ 13 points helped debutants Portugal to a top-five spot after they defeated China 2-0 (15:12, 22:16) in the 5/6 match, while fellow first-timers Vietnam lost to Croatia 2-1 (14:20, 24:19, SO 9:6) in the 7/8 placement match, Lara Miholic and Lu Ngoc Trinh, Croatia’s and Vietnam’s top-scoring on 14 points each. In the shoot-out, Thi Thanh Huyen Dam missed the Asian champions’ second shot, leaving Lucia Lesac to sink home the single point to win.

Germany men add global title to continental one

A few weeks after Germany won the European title, they won The World Games title with a 2-1 (18:21, 19:18, SO 8:6) win over debutant Portugal. The Portuguese, who only started their beach handball programme in 2019, add to their bronze gained at the world championship last year and are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

After Portugal had won the first set, they were locked at 18:18 in the second, but a final second single-pointer from Germany captain Robin John put it to shots.

In what would be an encounter between two of the world’s best – and Chengdu 2025’s finest – men's goalkeepers, Germany’s Moritz Ebert was celebrating at the end and not Portugal's Ricardo Castro, despite Germany missing their first shot. Ebert pulled out an easy save later on to even up the scores, but as the shoot-out entered its fifth round, Lars Zelser evened it up for Germany at 6:6. 

And so the stage was set for Ebert – later named All-star Team goalkeeper – to prove his worth, which he did with aplomb, going down to his right to block the shot from Francisco Santos, the Portuguese player slumping to his knees while the entire German delegation jumped into the net in celebration, Ebert somewhere near the bottom of the heap.

Spain took the first set in the bronze medal match by a golden goal score through Manuel Ramirez Dominguez, but the second set was clearer in Brazil’s favour, the South Americans taking the game to a shoot-out with a 17:12 win. In the shoot-out Gustavo Morais was first to miss, with Brazil’s third attempt, but Spain repeated the feat, Gonzalo Cervera seeing his shot saved by defender Hugo Fernandes.

Rai Goncalves, a debutant with the Brazilian squad, after being promoted to the seniors by coach Antonio Guerra Peixe who spotted him when working as part of the Iranian coaching team at the 2022 IHF Men's Youth Beach Handball World Championship, then stepped up to put his side back on track, with an emphatic fourth shot to make it 6:4 to his side after the fourth round of shots, but it was quickly equalised by Manuel Ramirez. It was pure drama for Brazil’s fifth – as usual, taken by Bruno Oliviera. 

The attacker was fouled by Victor Calleja in the Spanish goal and after a delay, Renan Carvalho sunk home the six-metre (8:6). It was then down to Pablo Martin Ruiz to score, but again, defensive specialist Fernandes stood strong, blocking the shot as Ruiz fell to the floor in realisation that the medal had slipped through his fingers.

The 2024 IHF Men’s Beach Handball World Championship final rematch between Croatia and Denmark for fifth place saw a monster scoring game for Denmark’s Martin Andersen, who recorded 32 points. Unfortunately for the legendary Danish player, he missed his shot in the shoot-out as Croatia ran out 2-1 (12:28, 24:22, SO 10:8) winners.

Host nation China finally won their first set of Chengdu 2025 in a dramatic 7-8 placement clash with Tunisia, which went to a shoot-out. The home side won the first set 21:20, but were then easily dispatched in the second (18:8). With Tunisia ahead after their fourth shot (8:6), Ma Huifeng missed China’s fourth. It was down to Yahi Mahlouf to score the winner with a single pointer, but his shot was saved by Ren Jianhao. Mao Raoxiang then had a chance to take it to a second round of shots but his shot was saved by Wassim Zariat.

The World Games Chengdu 2025 – Beach Handball: Day 6 results

Monday 11 August

Women’s Competition

Gold Medal Match/Final
Argentina vs Germany 2-1 (14:20, 22:12, SO 7:2)

Bronze Medal Match
Spain vs Denmark 2-0 (20:16, 18:10)

5-6 Placement Match
Portugal vs China 2-0 (15:12, 22:16)

7-8 Placement Match 
Vietnam vs Croatia 1-2 (20:14, 19:24, SO 6:9)

Men’s Competition

Gold Medal Match/Final
Portugal vs Germany 1-2 (21:18, 18:19, SO 6:8)

Bronze Medal Match
Spain vs Brazil 1-2 (23:22, 12:17, SO 6:8)

5-6 Placement Match
Croatia vs Denmark 2-1 (12:28, 24:22, SO 10:8)

7-8 Placement Match
Tunisia vs China 2-1 (20:21, 18:8, SO 8:6)

Final Ranking

Women’s competition
1 Argentina
2 Germany
3 Spain
4 Denmark
5 Portugal
6 People’s Republic of China
7 Croatia
8 Vietnam

Men’s competition
1 Germany
2 Portugal
3 Brazil
4 Spain
5 Croatia
6 Denmark
7 Tunisia
8 People’s Republic of China