The 2025 IHF World Women's Handball Championship will be 27th edition of the championship to be jointly hosted by Germany and the Netherlands under the aegis of International Handball Federation (IHF) from 26 November to 14 December 2025. It will be fourth time in history that the championship is jointly hosted.[1] "Catch the Dream" will be the official motto of the competition.[2]
France are the defending world champions, having won the 2023 edition.
Bidding process
On 11 October 2018, the IHF announced the bidders for the championship.[3]
The World Championship hosts will be directly qualified, along with the reigning world champions.
Since there are two organisers, all from Europe, the number of compulsory places for Europe is reduced by one: 3 instead of default 4. The number of compulsory places awarded to other continental confederation remains unchanged. In regards to the 12 performance spots, and based on the results of the 2023 Women's World Championship, Europe receives 11 more spots, while South and Central America takes 1.
Qualifying occurred between October 2024 and April 2025. Each region's continental championships acted as world championship qualification, although Europe also has its own qualification process. With the exception of Belarus and Russia, who are banned of the IHF due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, all remaining IHF member associations were eligible to enter qualification.
Egypt, Faroe Islands and Switzerland will make their debut at the championship, with the Faroe Islands becoming the smallest nation to ever qualify, overtaking Greenland. Of the returnees, after receiving a wildcard, Uruguay return for the first time since 2011. Cuba came back after their last appearance was in 2019. Tunisia, return after missing out on 2023. Paraguay advanced to three consecutive finals for the first time. Iceland and Senegal qualified for two consecutive finals for the first time. Originally, China failed to qualify after finishing outside the top four at the Asian Championship, however, they were belatedly given a wildcard, continuing run of making every world championship since 1986.[10]
Notable absentees include Slovenia whose last failure to qualify was 2015, while Cameroon and Congo both failed to qualify having participated at the previous two championships. 2023 participants, Greenland, couldn't qualify after failing to enter the 2025 Nor.Ca. Women's Handball Championship for financial reasons.[11][12]Chile failed to qualify after taking part in 2023.
On 31 March 2025, China was given the first wildcard due to good performances and country's position, making it a big market for the sport.[10]
The United States were provisionally given a wildcard, so the team could use this opportunity to prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympics which they will be hosting.[13][14] However, their lack of progress led the IHF to choose a different wildcard. Later on, four countries applied.
After their play off loss to Serbia, Slovenia's coach, Dragan Adžić, stated that his team deserved the last wildcard.[15]
On 12 May 2025, Croatia was given the second wildcard.[16]
First match(es) will be played: 27 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 27 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 26 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (H) Hosts
First match(es) will be played: 26 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 28 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference. (H) Hosts
First match(es) will be played: 28 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 27 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 27 November 2025. Source: IHF Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 4 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 4 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 3 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 2 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 4 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
First match(es) will be played: 3 December 2025. Source: Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head number of goals scored; 5) goal difference.
Places 1 to 4 and 25 to 32 will be decided by play-off or knock-out. The losers of the quarter finals will be ranked 5th to 8th according to the places in the main round, points gained and goal difference. Teams finishing third in the main round will be ranked 9th to 12th, teams finishing fourth in the main round 13th to 16th, teams finishing fifth in the main round 17th to 20th and teams ranked sixth 21st to 24th. In case of a tie in points gained, the goal difference of the main round will be taken into account, then number of goals scored. If teams will still be equal, number of points gained in the preliminary round will be considered followed by the goal difference and then number of goals scored in the preliminary round.
^Oceanian teams who enter, participate in the Asian Championship to decides their qualification. However, Australia withdrew before the tournament, meaning no Oceanian team qualified.
Germany
Netherlands
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France
Argentina
Brazil
Uruguay
Tunisia
Angola
Senegal
Egypt
South Korea
Kazakhstan
Japan
Iran
Hungary
Norway
Denmark
China
Iceland
Montenegro
Poland
Cuba
Spain
Faroe Islands.svg.png){kind=small}
Switzerland
Sweden
Romania
Serbia
Czech Republic
Austria
Paraguay
Croatia
