Croatia reached the President’s Cup final after their third straight win. After beating Paraguay, Croatia will fight for 25th place, while Paraguay, who finished second in Group I, will go to the Placement Match 27/28. Uruguay, who claimed their maiden win at Germany/Netherlands 2025, are set to play in the Placement Match 29/30, while the Islamic Republic of Iran will end the tournament with the Placement Match 31/32.

President’s Cup Group I
Paraguay vs Croatia 17:30 (11:14)

Paraguay’s Maria Fernandez opened the score, but Croatia responded with a 4:0 run, opening up a confident lead six minutes into the match. However, the Balkan team struggled to hold back Fernandez, whose further goals helped the South Americans draw level at 6:6.

Paraguay’s goalkeepers had a lot of impact in the first half, as Fatima Ocampos and Maria Machuca combined for nine saves in 30 minutes. However, their Croatian colleague Lucija Bešen also did well, and a strong 5:0 run handed her team a 12:7 lead. And while Paraguay hit back with three consecutive goals, the European team still had the upper hand at the interval.

In the second half, Croatia’s dominance was more pronounced. Capitalizing on Paraguay’s turnovers, they pulled clear by five goals, 18:13, and then enjoyed an 8:0 run between minutes 38 and 53, as Bešen made a string of saves and, in particular, stopped a couple of 7m shots from Fernanda Insfran.

An unfortunate collision between the key players Maria Machuca and Maria Fernandez was a hard blow for Paraguay, as both had to leave the court. The South Americans were unable to score for as many as 15 minutes before Fiorella Enriquez ended that drought. Bešen finished the game with 12 saves and a 46% save rate, while Katarina Pavlović scored six goals, as Croatia recorded their third straight victory.

hummel Player of the Match: Katarina Pavlović (Croatia)

Islamic Republic of Iran vs Uruguay 16:27 (8:16)

Uruguay, who play their sixth World Championship, will not finish higher than 29th at Germany/Netherlands 2025. However, the South Americans can be happy with their first win at the tournament, which ended a five-game losing streak, and now they hope to add another victory in the Placement Match 29/30.

The South Americans relied on solid goalkeeping—hummel Player of the Match Agustina Modernell stopped 15 balls for a 54% saving efficiency, and Viviana Hergatacorzian, who replaced her during the second half, added six more saves. In addition to that, Uruguay scored 27 goals, their biggest number at the current tournament, as left back Camila Bianco stood out with her five goals.

Uruguay grabbed early control of the match, opening a 5:1 and later an 8:3 lead. Just like in the previous matches, Iran struggled in attack, making a lot of turnovers - 21 during the entire game. The South Americans steadily increased the gap, boasting a 16:8 advantage at the break, and while they somewhat lost focus in the second half, Iran did not have a chance for a comeback.

In their previous World Championships, at Spain 2021 and Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, Iran finished 31st. With a win in their last match on Wednesday, the Asian side will have the same ranking.

hummel Player of the Match: Agustina Modernell (Uruguay)