IQA World Cup: Pools F and G Preview

Author: Whitney Ho

Introduction:

The 2025 IQA World Cup held in Brussels, Belgium is rapidly approaching, and with it comes some fast takes with Fastbreak News. Today, we take a deep dive into Pools F and G of the World Cup. Pool F, made up of Italy, Japan, Norway and the Philippines, will face off against Pool G, which includes France, Brazil, Türkiye and Czechia, in what will be the biggest World Cup in IQA history. Who will take it all? Who will be close enough to taste it, but watch it slip through their fingers? Let’s discuss.

The Teams

Pool F:

• Italy

• Japan

• Norway

• Philippines

Italy:

Italy, Pool F’s top seed, has been one of the most consistent teams in all of European Quadball and has made five European Games appearances. Their best finish in the European Championship his fifth, which they achieved in both 2015 and 2019, and at the 2018 World Cup, they finished a program high of eighth. The team, which was founded in 2013, comes in search of some of the successes they had in earlier seasons. 

Japan:

Japan is back for more in their second ever World Cup appearance after an 11th place finish in 2023. While still a relatively new team, the program has grown rapidly and they have cemented a good foundation as they continue to prepare for the future. Japan’s strengths lie in their team chemistry, confident passing and defensive mindset, forcing other teams to work for every goal. 

Norway:

Team Norway is one of the most consistent and talented teams in Europe, participating in numerous European Games and IQA World Cups. Their highest finishes in the EG saw them taking home some hardware in the form of bronze medals in 2015 and 2017. Led by admin staff Sten Evjeberg Hansen, Amund Storruste, Johanne Steinlien and Johanna England, the end goal of this Norway squad will certainly be to have a strong showing with decisive wins on days one and two, and if all goes well, to bring home some hardware on Day three.

Philippines:

The Philippines will be making history in Belgium this weekend, as this World Cup will be their IQA debut. Their coaching staff, made up of Alberto Morales, Harold Advincula and Christian Krieger, will lead a mostly inexperienced squad on the biggest Quadball stage in the world, and they’re ready for it. For what they lack in IQA experience, the Philippines make up for it with passion, dedication and a new unique style of Quadball that will shake things up in Brussels. 

Pool G:

• France 

• Brazil

• Türkiye

• Czechia

France: 

A long standing European powerhouse, France will definitely be a team to watch this World Cup. Over the years, they’ve seen multiple podium finishes at the European Games and have consistently done well at the IQA World Cups. Some of the aspects that make France stand out are their perseverance in tough situations and dynamic offense, confusing and outworking their opponents as they score. Key players include Lenny Vincent and Hugo Petit-Jean, who will take control of the game and lead their team with passion and determination. Is this the year that France brings home the gold?

Brazil:

One of the best teams in South America, Brazil will be heading to Belgium hungry for hardware. In 2022, they won the Pan American championship and a year later, they made a statement at the 2023 World Cup, finishing ninth overall. Head coach Alicia Ribeiro brings in a fresh and valuable perspective to Brazil, and their roster, led by captain Mique, shapes up to be strong heading into this IQA weekend. Watch out for high intensity and flair as they scramble their opponent’s brains and lengthen leads.

Türkiye:

Türkiye, a consistent and passionate powerhouse in Eastern Europe, will arrive in Belgium wanting nothing but victory. In 2018, they secured a bronze medal at the IQA World Cup, and that taste of victory has only made them want to win even more. Their roster, full of both young and experienced talent, will look to make a splash and have a strong showing on days one and two and follow up that sentiment by refusing to lose on day three. Expect this team to maintain consistency and strength as they survive and advance throughout the tournament.

Czechia:

An experienced and confident squad, Czechia comes to Belgium to make a statement and upset the favorites. The program has extensive experience on the international stage, recently appearing in IQA World Cups 2016 and 2018, European Games 2017, 2019 and 2022, and Nations Cup 2023. Key players such as Michael Skacha and Martin Curnek, who have played in multiple international tournaments for Czechia, will lead this squad with passion, technique and determination to win it all.

Matchups:

(All matches listed are in Belgium time CEST / GMT +2)

Friday, July 11th:

• Norway vs Czechia 10:00, Pitch 1

• Italy vs France 11:00, Pitch 5

• Japan vs Czechia 12:00, Pitch 2

• Philippines vs Türkiye 12:00, Pitch 4

• Japan vs France 14:00, Pitch 1

• Philippines vs Brazil 15:00, Pitch 2

• Norway vs Czechia 15:00, Pitch 3

• Italy vs Türkiye 16:00, Pitch 1*

• Philippines vs France 17:00, Pitch 5

Saturday, July 12th:

• Norway vs Brazil 9:30, Pitch 5

• Japan vs Türkiye 10:30, Pitch 1

• Norway vs France 11:30, Pitch 1*

• Italy vs Czechia 11:30, Pitch 4

• Japan vs Brazil 12:30, Pitch 5*

• Philippines vs Czechia 13:30, Pitch 5*

• Elimination games TBD

Sunday, July 13th:

• TBD

*Games to watch

Conclusion:

One of the most important things to remember about this IQA World Cup is that since there are so many teams, the formatting for certain pools are different than what Quadball enjoyers are used to. Instead of having five teams, Pools F and G have four and will not play the other teams in their pool, rather playing each team from their opposite pool. This is to keep the number of games consistent for each team in the tournament and ensuring no one has an unfair advantage. If you looked at the pools and were hoping for an epic clash between Italy and Norway or France and Türkiye on days one and two, unfortunately, you’ll be disappointed, but don’t count these teams out quite yet — anything can happen in elimination games.

A favorite to win their pool outright will surely be France in Pool G, but besides that, these games could go in multiple different ways. The strong European teams, including Italy, Norway and Türkiye, have played each other many times in the past and have watched each other grow. But the Asian teams and Brazil have little to no experience against the Europeans and vice versa. One of the biggest takeaways from these two pools and how they match up is that anything could happen, and the excitement will make these teams and pools ones to watch.