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

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 favorites, 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.

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, ihf.info reported.

Team Melli are scheduled to play Hungary and Senegal on Nov. 29 and Dec. 1, respectively.