European and Olympic champions Norway continued their perfect record at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, winning their sixth, straight game, defeating South and Central America champions Brazil in Dortmund by 19 goals.

Brazil were also undefeated coming into the clash, but were blown away by the Europeans, who restricted them to just seven first half goals as main round, group IV concluded at the Westfalenhalle, which now prepares to host two quarter-finals on Tuesday night before the championship moves completely to Rotterdam.

Main Round, Group IV
Norway vs Brazil 33:14 (18:7)

Already qualified for the last eight, both sides had nothing to play for in this game, other than avoiding the co-hosts and over 10,000 home fans in their quarter-final clashes.

Despite this, Norway put in one of their most complete performances of the championship so far, going 4:0 ahead before four minutes were on the clock and just a few minutes later, at 6:1 Brazil coach Cristiano Silva took his first time out.

It did not change anything though with his side stuck on two goals until almost the 16th minute (10:2).

With the heartbeat of the Brazilians – Bruna de Paula – completely neutralised and without a goal in the first half, plus goalkeeper Katrine Lunde stopping 10 shots (63%), the first period was a whitewash for the Norwegians with nine different players scoring in just the opening 30 minutes and Brazil ending with an attack efficiency of just under 25%.

Coach Silva did try and start the second half positively, opening with a 7v6 attack, but his side were punished immediately, as a Lunde save and assist helped them on their to a 13-goal (21:8) in the 33rd minute with the South Americans completely out of it and coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad able to enjoy the depth of his 16-woman squad on court.

“We knew that Norway is a very strong team and knew that we could not make mistakes in attack, which we did,” said Brazil’s Alexandra do Nascimento Martinez, whose side now face co-hosts Germany in the quarter-final on Tuesday (9 December). “Today, we didn’t play well.”

Katrine Lunde and her Norway side show no signs of stopping as they enter the knockout stage of the world championship in fine form – but also well-aware that any slip now will be the last international game for the legendary goalkeeper who announced her national team retirement last month.

“It’s hard to know what to expect before we enter a match and that’s why we take very match seriously,” said Norway’s Vilde Ingstad, whose side will now face Montenegro in the quarter-final. “The defending was really good today and Katrine’s performance in this championship has been…I get goosebumps just thinking about it, but everything can happen in this competition.”

hummel Player of the Match: Emilie Hovden (Norway)