Switzerland opened their debut campaign at Germany/Netherlands 2025 with a convincing 34:9 win against the Islamic Republic of Iran, with all 16 players getting minutes on the court in a positive start.

Group B
Switzerland vs Islamic Republic of Iran 34:9 (19:7)

Iran came in determined to open strongly, and Fatemeh Khalili Behfar delivered early with a string of solid saves. But mistakes in their attack quickly opened the door for Switzerland, who, carried by Era Baumann’s early impact, took control and moved to a 7:3 lead by the tenth minute.

As the minutes rolled on, Switzerland grew more confident. Entering the match as clear favourites, they slowly started to show exactly why. Mia Emmenegger, Tabea Schmid and Era Baumann led the charge, combining for 13 of Switzerland’s 19 goals.

Most of Switzerland’s goals came through quick transitions, as they were intent on finishing their attacks as fast as possible. Iran, meanwhile, struggled with the pace; their average attack lasted around 39 seconds and often ended in failure, allowing Switzerland to keep dictating the flow until the end of the half.

Not much changed in the second half, as Iran’s problems continued on both ends of the court. They were unable to score for 11 minutes, while Switzerland kept pouncing even with heavy rotations across the squad. Seraina Kuratli was exceptional between the posts, picking up exactly where Lea Schüpbach had left off, saving six of Iran’s seven early attempts.

Eleven of Switzerland’s fourteen outfield players scored at least once, with Melanie Felber stepping up in the second half and finishing with seven goals. Kuratli ended her performance with 12 saves from 14 shots, underlining Switzerland’s control from start to finish and earning the hummel Player of the Match award.

For Iran, Fatemeh Merikh remained their best performer with three goals in what was a difficult start to the World Championship. This marks the second time they have scored only nine goals at the flagship competition, and their second-lowest tally overall after scoring eight goals in 2021 against Angola.

hummel Player of the Match: Seraina Kuratli (Switzerland)