Co-hosts the Netherlands outplayed Hungary for their fourth semi-final appearance, feeding off the electric Ahoy Arena atmosphere and delivering a commanding display, overpowering their opponents, 28:23, to book their first World Championship semi-final since lifting the trophy in 2019.

Quarter-finals
Netherlands vs Hungary 28:23 (14:9)

The roar inside Ahoy Arena began from the very first second, and the home crowd immediately pushed the co-hosts into a sharp 2:0 start. However, Hungary absorbed the early punch well. With a compact defensive performance, they replied with a 3:0 run and took a 4:3 lead just seven minutes in. The Dutch attack stumbled with turnovers stacking up, even though Yara ten Holte was once again delivering a standout performance between the posts.

However, Hungary soon entered their own rocky stretch. They matched the Dutch in mistakes, failed to score during a power play, and left the door wide open. From a tight 6:6, the Netherlands blew the game open in under two minutes, surging to a 10:6 lead and flipping the momentum fully to their side.

With the Hungarian attack stuck at just 33% efficiency, the gap could have stretched even further if not for Zsófi Szemerey. She once again kept Hungary afloat, closing the half with seven saves at 33% and doing everything she could to stay level with Ten Holte on the opposite side.

The Netherlands imposed their rhythm, sprinting through fast breaks and trying to finish attacks as quickly as possible, many of them born straight out of Ten Holte's saves. Bo van Wetering and Dione Housheer led the charge, combining for more than half of the Dutch goals and keeping the co-hosts firmly in control.

Hungary had a tough start to the second half, entering with a two-minute suspension, and they couldn't match their opponents to narrow the gap. They were trailing by five for the first seven minutes of the half, and then Katrin Klujber changed the outcome, but not as she would have wanted. First, she scored to close it down to 13:17, but moments later, while trying to stop Bo van Wetering on a fast break, she earned a direct red card, a moment that shook her team completely.

From there, the Netherlands made a 3:0 unanswered run to grab their biggest lead yet—20:13. When it hit eight, it looked like the co-hosts were heading straight toward double digits. The numbers reflected Hungary's struggle; a team that averaged only eight turnovers per game until the quarter-finals had already climbed to 13 by the 50th minute, unable to stay composed against the Dutch defensive pressure.

Kinga Janurik stepped in to replace Szemerey and quickly helped Hungary bounce back, with four saves that pulled the gap down to five and breathed just enough life into Hungary to keep hopes alive.

The Dutch didn't fall under pressure, rising again with a composed, compact defence, and whenever it cracked, Yara ten Holte was there to shut it down. The co-hosts entered the last five minutes at 26:20 with an all-but-assured victory. The celebration erupted with the final whistle when the scoreboard showed 28:23, with King Willem-Alexander joining the roar from the stands.

Dione Housheer netted eight, hummel Player of the Match Bo van Wetering added five, and Yara ten Holte delivered a phenomenal 15 saves at 41%, a performance worthy of a fourth semi-final appearance.

Hungary bid farewell to Germany/Netherlands 2025 in seventh place, with Luca Csíkos, Katrin Klujber, and Petra Simon scoring three each, while Zsófi Szemerey and Kinga Janurik combined for 14 saves.

hummel Player of the Match: Bo van Wetering (Netherlands)