Key Takeaways
- Madrid hosts 8 men’s teams and 6 women’s teams vying for the 4 available places at the Qatar World Cup in Doha.
- Group A and B winners Germany and Great Britain received first-round byes in the women’s competition, sending them straight into Saturday’s decisive qualification matches.
- Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Ukraine, Denmark, and Germany will contest the men’s quarterfinals, with 2 qualification places at stake.
Madrid knockout stage to decide Doha qualifiers
More than 50 ties were played during 3 demanding days of group action in Madrid before the FIP World Cup Qualifiers Europe moved into the knockout rounds. The remaining field comprises 8 men’s sides and 6 women’s teams, all competing for 4 places at the Qatar World Cup in Doha from November 2 to 7. Each category offers 2 qualification berths.
Women’s draw: Germany and Great Britain advance directly to decisive stage
Great Britain, Germany, Romania, Poland, Denmark, and Greece reached the knockout phase by finishing first in their respective sections. As winners of Groups A and B, which included the highest-seeded teams in the tournament, Great Britain and Germany were awarded first-round byes. They will enter the competition again in Saturday’s final matches, when the 2 women’s places in Doha will be decided.
Friday’s meeting between Romania and Poland will determine who faces Great Britain, while the winner of Denmark against Greece will meet Germany for a World Cup berth. Germany and Great Britain confirmed their advancement on the last day of group play, each recording a convincing 3-0 win over Turkey and Serbia respectively. Greece, meanwhile, recovered from losing the first rubber against Slovenia. Victories by the Ntanou and Adamopoulou pairing and the Stavroulaki and Malamou duo completed the comeback.
Men’s draw: quarterfinal places secured by 8 group winners
Friday’s men’s quarterfinal lineup features the 8 group winners: Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Belgium, Ukraine, Denmark, and Poland. The leading contenders dominated the final day of the group phase, with Germany beating Lithuania 3-0, Great Britain defeating Moldova 3-0, and Netherlands sealing top spot in Group A through a 3-0 win over Estonia. Clean sweeps were also registered by Denmark, Slovenia, Ukraine, and Belgium, whereas Croatia edged Serbia 2-1 and Greece defeated the Czech Republic by the same score.
| Matchup | Category | Round | Subsequent opponent pathway |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania vs. Poland | Women | First round | Winner faces Great Britain on Saturday |
| Denmark vs. Greece | Women | First round | Winner faces Germany on Saturday |
| Netherlands vs. Poland | Men | Quarterfinal | Winner faces winner of Belgium vs. Bulgaria |
| Belgium vs. Bulgaria | Men | Quarterfinal | Winner faces winner of Netherlands vs. Poland |
| Great Britain vs. Ukraine | Men | Quarterfinal | Winner faces winner of Denmark vs. Germany |
| Denmark vs. Germany | Men | Quarterfinal | Winner faces winner of Great Britain vs. Ukraine |
Friday’s Madrid schedule has the opening women’s knockout rubbers beginning at 9:00 pm local time, while the 4 men’s quarterfinals will start no earlier than 12:00 pm local time. Every match will be streamed live on the official FIP YouTube channel.
