Iceland secure main round berth with win over Uruguay

In their third match at Germany/Netherlands 2025, Iceland registered their first win, which booked their ticket to the main round. Now the Icelanders are already certain to improve their final placement compared to the previous edition of the IHF Women's World Championship, where they finished 25th, while Uruguay lost their third consecutive game and will now look for better results in the President’s Cup.

GROUP C
Iceland vs Uruguay 33:19 (17:7)

Iceland took early control, opening up a 3:0 lead before left wing Catalina Tournier scored Uruguay’s first goal. A few minutes later, Iceland’s 4:3 lead looked somewhat shaky, but the Nordic side produced another 3:0 run to pull clear again.

The Europeans were quicker and more efficient in attack, while Uruguay turned the ball over time and again. Centre back Sandra Erlingsdóttir made a big impact, both scoring and setting up goals. Goalkeeper Hafdís Renötudóttir also stepped up, boasting a 50% save rate before the break, and while Iceland led 10:6 in the 17th minute, they conceded just once in the remainder of the half, taking a double‑digit lead at 17:7.

Uruguay failed to score a single goal between the 24th and 37th minute, and notably, it was their goalkeeper Agustina Modernell who ended that drought with a goal into Iceland’s empty net from her own half. Iceland also somewhat slowed down in attack after the restart, but they firmly kept the game under control, leading 23:11 midway through the second half.

There were no doubts left about the outcome, and Iceland ultimately hit the 30‑goal mark for the first time at the tournament. Eleven of their players put their names on the scoresheet, with hummel Player of the Match Erlingsdóttir becoming top scorer with seven goals. While the Nordic team will start the main round with no points, they will aim to achieve some positive results in the next stage.

hummel Player of the Match: Sandra Erlingsdóttir (Iceland)