In the meeting of two nations celebrating their 19th World Championship appearance, Poland came out on top, securing a controlled win over People's Republic of China, 36:20, and setting the tone for their ambitions in Group F.

Group F
Poland vs People’s Republic of China 36:20 (15:12)

Poland were trailing in energy compared to the People's Repbulic of ChinaChina, who opened well with a 2:0 lead. However, their fast pace and desire to finish attacks as quickly as possible soon became a problem, as China started losing too many balls. It allowed Poland to get back into the game and level at 3:3 in the sixth minute. Despite the scoreline, neither side was where they wanted to be, both looking like they were still testing the ground in their first match at Germany/Netherlands 2025.

China’s defence pushed Poland to their limits, but in the end it was Polish experience and physical strength that broke through. A 5:0 run created a 9:5 lead in the 14th minute. That gap should have provided some breathing room, but Poland failed to keep the momentum, and China narrowed the deficit back to two.

All of this prompted Arne Senstad to make his first changes: Paulina Wdowiak replaced Adrianna Płaczek between the posts, and new approaches were introduced in attack. As Senstad highlighted during the time-out, they needed to slow down, move more without the ball, and stop rushing their possessions. Still, the adjustments did not have the desired effect immediately, as Poland could not pull away by more than three.

Poland needed only six minutes in the second half to build a more comfortable lead, the one that would ultimately seal the deal. Powered by hummel Player of the Match Magda Balsam, who netted nine by the end, and Daria Michalak, they stretched the gap to seven, leaving China without an answer. Only Chan Liu managed to keep China afloat in attack, scoring seven goals in the first 45 minutes.

As the final ten minutes approached, China struggled more and more, forcing coach Yerime Sylla to call two time-outs within that short span. They faltered again as Poland fuelled another scoring run to set their biggest lead of the match, 30:18, with Paulina Wdowiak continuing to make key saves. By the end, the European side stretched the gap further and sealed a convincing 36:20 win.

This is also Poland’s biggest-ever win against China at the World Championship, as well as the highest number of goals they have scored in this matchup. Their previous best came in 1990, when they defeated China 31:17.

In the next round, Poland will have a chance to confirm their main round berth when they face Tunisia, while China await another tough opponent, reigning champions France.

“First half was good in some moments, but we lost ourselves sometimes. We came back and in the second half we were better and showed that. We expected the game to be a bit difficult; they play a different style, but we discussed staying calm,” said Polish left back Paulina Uścinowicz.

“We had a good performance in the first half, but in the second half we made mistakes, missed shots, and energy started to go down,” added China’s top scorer Chan Liu after the match.

hummel Player of the Match: Magda Balsam (Poland)