The Guerreras bowed out of the handball World Cup with their campaign ending earlier than hoped after a heavy defeat against the Netherlands. A potential lifeline in the form of a draw would have kept Spain in contention, but the script didn’t bend their way as the final scoreline read 29 to 21 in favor of the Dutch. The outcome eliminated Spain from further advancement and, importantly, excluded them from eligibility for the pre-Olympic tournament that follows the World Cup slate.
The overall gravity of the loss was underscored by the earlier setback against the Czech Republic, a result that exposed the fragility of Spain’s momentum at a pivotal moment of the competition. In that game, Spain’s fate was in limbo, hanging on a thread that depended on outcomes not entirely within their control. Brazil reinforced the Czech Republic’s strength by delivering a decisive win, making the Spaniards’ path toward the knockout stages dependent on a combination of their own results and favorable external results. In the end, Spain could not leverage their results in matches against the Netherlands to tilt the balance, and the draw they needed never materialized as the Dutch pulled away decisively.
From the opening stages, the Spaniards found themselves chasing the scoreboard rather than dictating the tempo. They trailed by four points at the break, with a 13-9 tally that suggested a struggle to gain traction against an opponent that seemed more organized and efficient on both ends of the court. The Netherlands did not rest after halftime; they extended their lead almost immediately, again pushing the margin into double digits. A timeout called by Ambros Martín did little to alter the momentum as the Dutch continued to build their advantage and eventually stretched the gap to 11 goals with a 25-14 position on the board. The narrative on the floor spoke to a team that was unable to mount a sustained response, failing to convert opportunities, and allowing the Dutch to translate defensive stops into clinical finishes. It was a performance that reflected the pressure Spain faced to deliver in a high-stakes knockout setting and the reality that some days simply do not go as hoped.