Croatia beat Islamic Republic of Iran, Paraguay win continental derby

The teams who failed to claim a single point in the group stage moved into the President’s Cup, and in Group I, Croatia and Paraguay opened their accounts at Germany/Netherlands 2025, beating the Islamic Republic of Iran and Uruguay respectively.

President’s Cup Group I
Croatia vs Islamic Republic of Iran 38:9 (21:3)

Croatia, the only European team in the President’s Cup, were favoured to win this match, and the Balkan side took early control. As goalkeeper Lucija Bešen made one save after another, Croatia surged to an 11:0 lead before Iran’s Atieh Shahsavari finally scored her team’s opening goal nearly 16 minutes into the game.

The Asians had the least effective attack in the entire tournament during the group stage, scoring just 43 goals. Against Croatia, they were restricted to three goals before the break, as Bešen posted an 81% save rate in the opening 30 minutes. Croatia were not perfect in attack either, missing a number of chances, but seven goals from 19‑year‑old Katja Vukovic helped them to a commanding 21:3 lead at half-time.

Iran slightly improved in attack after the restart, finishing the game with nine goals, but their European rivals continued to dominate and had no problems cruising to a big win. As many as 13 Croatian players put their names on the scoresheet, with Vukovic – who was named hummel Player of the Match – finishing as top scorer with nine goals from 10 attempts.

hummel Player of the Match: Katja Vukovic (Croatia)

Uruguay vs Paraguay 20:23 (8:13)

When the rivals met at the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship, Uruguay won 25:20 to finish third, while Paraguay ranked fourth. This time, however, Paraguay took revenge, earning their first victory at the tournament and giving themselves a good chance to finish above their continental rivals.

Paraguay opened a 2:0 lead early in the game, and although Uruguay quickly drew level, they were never able to move in front. Both sides’ goalkeepers did a good job in the first half, but Paraguay’s Fatima Ocampos had a special impact, delivering nine saves for a 53% save efficiency.

Uruguay looked determined to turn the tide early in the second half, using a 4:1 run to cut the gap to 12:14. The game tightened, and with 11 minutes to go it was still open, as Paraguay led by just two goals at 18:16.

But following a timeout, Paraguay produced a crucial 4:1 run fuelled by three goals from Fernanda Insfran, who became the game’s top scorer with seven goals. A bit later, Uruguay’s late 3:0 surge gave them a chance for a comeback, but at 22:20 Ocampos made her 17th save of the day before Maria Fernandez sealed Paraguay’s three-goal win with a last‑gasp strike.

hummel Player of the Match: Fernanda Insfran (Paraguay)