Spain secured first place at the World Cup Division 1 tournament in Alexandroupolis, capping off a dramatic final day that confirmed the quarterfinal picture for Sydney and saw Croatia storm into the Final Eight with authority.
Despite suffering their first setback of the tournament, Spain did just enough to hold onto top spot. Greece edged a pulsating contest 15:13 after penalties (11:11 in regular time), but the single point Spain earned proved decisive in the final standings.
It was a game full of momentum swings. Spain, without Álvaro Granados, raced into a 3:0 lead early on behind a strong defensive start and key saves from Unai Aguirre. Greece responded through Argyropoulos, who sparked a turnaround as the hosts surged into a 5:3 lead before Spain clawed back to 5:5 at halftime.
The second half delivered pure drama. Greece looked set to take all three points after edging ahead repeatedly, but Spain continued to respond. With just nine seconds remaining, Konstantinos Kakaris converted a 7-on-6 opportunity to level the match at 11:11 and force penalties. In the shootout, goalkeeper Panagiotis Tzortzatos proved the difference, denying Munarriz and Biel to hand Greece the win—though not the place in the top two they needed.
Italy capitalised. A composed 12:9 victory over Hungary secured second place for the “Settebello,” built on a clinical third quarter and an outstanding performance from goalkeeper Gianmarco Nicosia, who made 15 saves.
The match also featured a key turning point late in the second period, when a VAR review resulted in red cards for both Filippo Ferrero and Adam Nagy following a violent foul. Hungary briefly had a numerical advantage but failed to convert, and Italy took control from there, pulling away late through goals from Di Somma and Del Basso.
With that result, the final standings in the top group were confirmed: Spain first, Italy second, Greece third, and Hungary fourth—Hungary finishing the second phase without a single point.
In the 5th–8th classification group, Croatia produced the standout performance of the day, dismantling Serbia 11:6 to complete a perfect run and secure the final available ticket to Sydney.
The match never truly ignited as a contest. Croatia stormed into a 5:0 lead inside the opening minutes and extended it to 8:2 by halftime, leaving Serbia with no way back. Kharkov and Fatović led the scoring, while Croatia’s defensive structure suffocated a Serbian side that failed to convert any of their nine man-up opportunities.
The Netherlands claimed their first points of the tournament in a narrow 12:11 win over the USA. Mart van der Weijden starred with five goals, including the decisive strike in the final minutes, as the Dutch edged a tight, back-and-forth encounter. However, the result did not change their position at the bottom of the standings.
Croatia finished fifth overall, followed by Serbia, USA, and the Netherlands.
Attention now turns to the Final Eight in Sydney (July 21–25), where the quarterfinal lineup is beginning to take shape. Spain will face hosts Australia, while Hungary meet Croatia in a high-stakes crossover clash. Italy and Greece will discover their opponents following the conclusion of Division 2.
In Malta, both Montenegro and Georgia booked their places in Sydney with dominant semifinal victories. Montenegro defeated France 15:11, powered by six goals from Nikola Moskov, while Georgia overwhelmed Germany 19:13, pulling away with a decisive third-quarter surge.
The two sides will meet in the Division 2 final, with the winner set to face Greece in the quarterfinals and the runner-up taking on Italy.
With Spain leading the pack, Croatia peaking at the right time, and two in-form challengers emerging from Division 2, the stage is set for a fiercely competitive Final Eight in Sydney.
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