Italy, Argentina, Denmark, and Chile complete the quarterfinal matches of the 16th Men’s Fistball World Championship. Denmark and Chile engage in tight battles against Namibia and New Zealand, while Argentina and Italy secure clear victories against the USA and Australia, respectively.
In the President’s Cup, the USA, Belgium, Namibia, and New Zealand advance to the semifinals and still have a chance to compete for the ninth-place match at SAP-Arena.

Italy Shines Against the USA Italy – USA 3:0 (12:10, 11:6, 11:5)
Italy defeats the USA convincingly, despite both teams starting the match on equal footing. After an intense first set, the USA lost some momentum, particularly in their attacking efforts. Italian attacker Armin Runer stood out, leading his team flawlessly and deservedly into the quarterfinals against Brazil. With their performance today, the USA team will give their hardest effort to win the President’s Cup.

Argentina Outshines Australia’s Attack
Argentina – Australia 3:0 (11:3, 11:4, 11:4)
As expected, Australia couldn’t match Argentina’s performance on the wet field. Argentina secured an undisputed victory, and Australia had no answer to the long and hard-hitting attacks from the Argentine side. Argentina will face Switzerland in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Australia will compete against Japan.

Denmark Triumphs in a Nerve-Wracking Match Namibia
Denmark 1:3 (5:11, 9:11, 11:6, 14:15)
The battle for a spot in the quarterfinals was not for the faint-hearted, especially in the fourth set. After a strong start by Denmark, Namibia gradually found their rhythm, resulting in a closely contested match with constant lead changes from the middle of the second set. Namibia put up a great fight, but Denmark emerged as the luckier team in the end. Denmark will now face one of the favorites, Austria, in the quarterfinals, while Namibia will play against Belgium in the President’s Cup.

Chile Triumphs Over the Kiwis Chile
New Zealand 3:1 (11:5, 11:7, 12:14, 11:6)
Chilean attacker Alváro Mödinger demonstrates from the outset that his team aims to reach the quarterfinals against Germany. This strategy pays off for the first two sets. In the third set, Alváro Mödinger remains on the bench, and despite strong efforts from Andres Gruss and Eduardo Mödinger, New Zealand manages to save two match points before securing the set. In the fourth set, Chile brings Alváro Mödinger back into the game and clinches an undisputed victory.

USA Prevails Against the Czech Republic
Czech Republic – USA 1:3 (7:11, 11:7, 9:11, 10:12)
After a tough battle, the favored US team defeats the Czech Republic 3:1 in the first match of the President’s Cup. The USA started strong but faced a phase where the Czech Republic gained the upper hand. The match remained evenly contested until the USA eventually secured the victory.

Belgium Stages a Comeback Against Australia
Belgium – Australia 3:2 (7:11, 11:13, 11:7, 11:9, 13:11)
Belgium wins by only two points in a closely fought match. Australia initially dominated the rain-soaked battle, with their attacker Nila Poudal impressing with excellent serves, returns, and artistic defensive plays. As Belgium found their rhythm, Australia narrowly lost the fifth set 11:13, concluding the match in favor of Belgium.

Namibia Overpowers Japan
Japan – Namibia 0:3 (0:11, 5:11, 2:11)
Following the closest game of the World Championship, Namibia delivers the most decisive result to date by defeating Japan 3:0. The few points scored by the crowd-favorite Japanese team are enthusiastically celebrated by the stadium fans, but they couldn’t match the technically superior team from Africa.

New Zealand Triumphs Over Serbia in Three Sets
Serbia – New Zealand 0:3 (10:12, 3:11, 6:11)
The result might appear decisive, but both teams engage in an excellent exchange during the evening match on the fourth day of the World Championship. Josh Cameron shines as the match-winner for New Zealand, supported by the strong Kempf brothers, who set up several remarkable plays. Although Serbia fought hard in all three sets, they couldn’t seriously challenge the clear victory of the Kiwis.

All games are livstreamed on fistball.tv.

Germany and Austria win and advance as group winners directly to the quarterfinals of the 16th  Fistball Men’s World Championship. They are followed by second-placed Brazil and Switzerland, who defeated Argentina and Namibia. In front of almost 3,000 spectators at the Rhein-Neckar Stadium, Denmark staged a comeback from a 0-2 set deficit, Belgium celebrated its first victory, and Japan engaged in a dramatic duel – with the better end for the Oceanians.

Germany – Italy 3:0 (11:4, 11:2, 11:5)

Fueled by 2,700 children on Schools Day, Germany celebrated its third consecutive victory, this time against Italy, maintaining a flawless record as Group A’s leader. The standout players were Patrick Thomas with powerful and well-placed smashes and Nick Trinemeier with diagonal shots that often left Italy stranded. Coach Olaf Neuenfeld used the opportunity against the outmatched Italians to give the entire squad the necessary competition experience and playing time.

Austria Tops Group After Obligatory Victory Against Chile
Austria – Chile 3:0 (11:9, 11:4, 13:11)

The match against the supposedly easiest group opponent, Chile, allowed Austria to try out new attacking strategies. Main attacker Karl Müllehner could rest, while Martin Pühringer, Gustav Gürtler, and Jean Andrioli were given more playing time. After a cautious start, Austria found its stride, and Chile’s attacking formation, consisting of Alvaro Mödinger, Andres Gruss, and later Eduardo Mödinger, struggled to find a way to consistently challenge the Austrian defense.

New Zealand Leaves No Chance for Czech Republic
Czech Republic – New Zealand 0:3 (3:11, 8:11, 5:11)

New Zealand not only dominated the duel with the Czech Republic but also finished first in Group C thanks to the victory. The “Kiwis,” led by attackers Bill Roser and Josh Cameron, displayed a nearly perfect first set. The Czech team, with captain Tomas Batka, showed some improvement when setter Ctirad Grüner was brought in. However, nearly all of Czech Republic’s points in the third set came from short serves.

Denmark Stages a Comeback in a Seemingly Lost Game
USA – Denmark 2:3 (11:9, 12:10, 9:11, 10:12, 3:11)

The duel between the USA and Denmark was not for the faint-hearted. The Americans were already leading 2-0 and had two match points, but the smiling winners in the end were the Danes, who won Group D. The match was evenly contested for four sets, but both sides made many unforced errors. In the fifth set, the USA lost their momentum, and Denmark managed to turn the game around.

Switzerland Wins Rainy Match Against Namibia
Switzerland – Namibia 3:0 (11:3, 11:1, 11:6)

In the first rainy match of this World Championship, Switzerland left Namibia with no chance. Due to the weather conditions, Switzerland’s technical superiority was evident. As the second-placed team in Group A, Switzerland will play against Argentina or Australia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, while Namibia will face Denmark.

Brazil’s Defense Slows Down Argentina
Brazil – Argentina 3:0 (11:8, 11:4, 11:6)

Brazil won the South American clash against Argentina and thus follows Austria directly to the quarterfinals as the group’s second-place team. Brazil’s defense was hard to crack despite the sometimes adverse weather conditions. Additionally, their offense impressed with powerful and precise shots that were difficult to defend. Argentina, as the group’s third-placed team, will face Australia on Tuesday.

Belgium Surprises with a Decisive Victory
Serbia – Belgium 0:3 (7:11, 9:11, 11:13)

Belgium ended the preliminary round with a surprising third-place victory against Serbia. The hard-fought match was characterized by long rallies and evenly contested points – with the better end for the Belgians, who converted their third match point. Their next opponent in the President’s Cup on Tuesday will be determined during the morning session. Serbia will face the loser of the match between Chile and New Zealand.

Australia Wins an Intense Fistball Thriller
Australia – Japan 3:1 (11:13, 11:7, 11:9, 11:6)

Underdogs and crowd favorites Japan started surprisingly strong, winning the first set 13:11, which marked their first set victory in the tournament. Attacker Taijo Suzuki went beyond his usual performance level, contributing to a highly dramatic game throughout. Japan fought bravely until the end but couldn’t match the physical superiority of the Australians, who secured the victory.

All games are livstreamed on fistball.tv.

Title defenders Germany maintained their flawless record on the second day of the 16th IFA Men’s Fistball World Championship and impressively demonstrated their strength with a 3-0 victory against Switzerland, in front of 2.500 spectators at the Rhein-Neckar Stadium. Austria showed improvement and secured an important win in the top match against Brazil.

Germany – Switzerland 3-0 (11-9, 11-4, 11-3)

A fantastic atmosphere at the Rhein-Neckar Stadium as the German team thrilled the spectators in their second group stage match. Switzerland managed to keep pace with Germany towards the end of the first set, coming back from a 5-8 deficit to level at 9-9. However, the German strickers, Patrick Thomas and Johannes Jungclaussen, stepped up to win the set. Germany continued their dominant performance, quickly taking a 5-0 lead in the following sets. Switzerland, who were strong opponents in last year’s World Games final, stood no chance. Coach Olaf Neuenfeld made substitutions in the defense during the game, but the quality did not diminish with the inclusion of Oliver Kraut, Tim Albrecht, and Jakob Kilpper.

Denmark defends Belgium’s offense
Denmark – Belgium 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-7)

Denmark secured second place in Group D after their second group stage victory, this time against Belgium. The Danes delivered convincing performances, especially in the first and third sets. In the second set, Belgium, leading 6-4 at one point, came close to winning a set. The game remained even until 10-10, but in the crucial moments, Denmark managed to step up their game.

USA leads Group D
USA – Serbia 3-0 (11-7, 12-10, 11-6)

The Americans lead Group D after two dominant victories and will face Denmark on Monday to decide the group winner. Serbia displayed some spectacular moves and great defensive actions, making the second set challenging for the USA, as they were briefly trailing behind at 10-9. However, the USA showcased their class and won both the set and the match.

Thrilling five-set match in the South American clash
Chile – Argentina 2-3 (13-11, 6-11, 4-11, 12-10, 7-11)

The thrilling game of the World Championship at the Rhein-Neckar Stadium between Chile and Argentina was not for the faint-hearted. In front of 2500 spectators, Chile took the lead but fell behind in the following sets. At 10-5 for Argentina in the fourth set, it seemed the match was decided, but Chile fought back, resulting in an incredible turnaround. Both teams engaged in a defensive battle with long rallies. Chile fought off five match points and scored an impressive seven consecutive points to win the set. However, in the decisive fifth set, Argentina sealed their first group stage victory.

Austria outshines Brazil
Austria – Brazil 3-1 (7-11, 11-9, 11-6, 12-10)

In the crucial match for the group victory, the cards were clearly stacked in favor of Brazil. Only the winner is likely to avoid tournament favorite and reigning world champion Germany in the semifinals. The South Americans had the better start, and Austria made mistakes, appearing nervous. Consequently, Austria lost the first set. However, the Austrians turned the game around when they trailed 6-8 and won the second set 11-9. Brazil seemed paralyzed afterwards, unable to find their flow. Austria won the third set and started the fourth set with an 8-6 lead. Despite Brazilian mistakes, and thanks to the impressive performance of striker Karl Mühllehner, Austria secured the vital 3-1 victory.

New Zealand remains undefeated
New Zealand – Japan 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-9)

With their second win, New Zealand secured the top spot in Group C. Japan, known for their acrobatic plays, showed improvement compared to the opening match and came close to winning the third set. Despite not yet having won a match, they have already become crowd favorites.

Australia struggles to victory against Czech Republic
Czech Republic – Australia 2-3 (11-9, 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 5-11)

In an evenly-matched and exciting duel, Czech Republic’s two-set lead was not enough for a second group stage victory. Australia fought back to equalize and dominated the decisive fifth set.

Determined Italy defeats tenacious Namibia
Italy – Namibia 3-0 (15-13, 11-9, 13-11)

In a tight and thrilling floodlit match, Italy emerged victorious against the African team. The “Azzuris,” led by veteran Armin Runer, won two of the three sets in overtime. Namibia put up a passionate fight but could not reward themselves with a set win.

All games are livstreamed on fistball.tv.