After eight teams started their campaign at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship on Wednesday, 16 more enter the fore on Thursday, with Rotterdam and ‘s-Hertogenbosch hosting their first matches.

GROUP A
18:00 CET Romania vs Croatia

Croatia come to Rotterdam facing a demanding opener and an even tougher reality, as their squad has been rebuilt almost from scratch. Injuries and farewells have stripped the team of some familiar faces, most notably the line player trio Katarina Ježić, Ana Debelić and Mia Brkić, leaving coach Ivica Obrvan with a young core. Seven players are making their debut at the World Championship, and with such a strong group ahead, Croatia know they have a challenging time ahead.

Still, Obrvan hopes the new wave can deliver sheer hunger and motivation to prove the wild card was deserved. Croatia have not reached the top 10 in the last two editions, finishing 14th and 18th, and losing to both Poland and Senegal in the Croatia Cup also does not give much confidence, while their opponents Romania won all three games against Czechia, Austria and Portugal.

Romania are also stepping into a new era, one without Cristina Neagu, Crina Pintea and Eliza Buceschi, and with newly appointed coach Ovidiu Mihăilă. Mihăilă now steers a team searching for a new identity while hoping to get back among the best. After years without the results they wanted, Romania are coming into the flagship competition remembering their silver in 2005 and third place in 2015, a ten‑year cycle that could mean 2025 is their time again.

This will be their seventh official meeting, but only their second at a World Championship. The first came in the Round of 16 in 2011, when Croatia celebrated a dramatic 27:26 win.

20:30 CET Denmark vs Japan

Denmark enter the World Championship as the absolute favourites in the group. They are the powerhouse everyone expects to dominate and the one every rival secretly wants to bring down. Despite being hit by absences, from injuries to pregnancies, this squad never looks defeated thanks to a deep roster. Helle Thomsen, who succeeded Jesper Jensen, now leads the team alongside assistant Bojana Popović, aiming to extend their medal streak – three bronze medals and two silvers in the last four years across three competitions. Their last world title dates back to 1997, and the dream of returning to the top is very much alive.

The EHF EURO 2024 runners-up showed their strength again in preparations, beating Sweden 35:23 before playing a tight 36:36 draw in the rematch. On the other side, they will meet the group’s only non-European side, Japan. The Asian team once again hope to challenge European opponents, just as they have done before, and they already know how to stun Denmark.

At the 2023 World Championship, Japan defeated them 27:26 in the main round, and knowing Japan now once again have a Danish coach on the bench, Morten Soubak, the storyline only gets better for the opponents in Rotterdam. Japan’s preparation tournament in France was solid, with a 26:22 win against Angola and a 22:36 loss to France.

GROUP B
18:00 CET Switzerland vs Islamic Republic of Iran

Switzerland are finally stepping onto the world stage after their European rise, and the debutants look anything but timid. Their breakthroughs at the Women’s EHF EURO 2022 and 2024 fuel a young, fearless core aiming to start with a win and challenge everyone as one of only two European teams in the group.

Kerstin Kündig and Daphne Gautschi remain the familiar, experienced players, while Mia Emmenegger and Tabea Schmid, both developing fast at Team Esbjerg, return under the spotlight, joined by Era Baumann on the left wing. Their losses against Germany in the final preparation stage (17:35, 32:35) hardly tell the real story of this team.

Their first opponents, Iran, arrive with experience from the 2021 and 2023 World Championships, plus a recent bronze from the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games, and a new head coach, Ana Cristina Teixeira Seabra. Their most recognisable figure remains goalkeeper Fatemeh Khalili Behfar, who left her mark at the last edition by finishing eighth in total saves, producing 65 stops in seven matches.

20:30 CET Hungary vs Senegal

Hungary enter the IHF Women’s World Championship as the clear favourites in Group B, and they are not running away from that label. After back-to-back 10th-place finishes at the flagship competition and a bronze at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, Vladimir Golovin’s team arrive hungry to take the next step. Their opening task is Senegal, as they will close the first day of the competition in the Maaspoort arena in ’s-Hertogenbosch.

This Hungarian squad has been simmering for years, finally reaching the point where experience blends with young guns like Petra Simon and Csenge Kuczora. They showed their strength through solid preparation wins against Spain (37:28) and Serbia (29:25).

Meanwhile, Senegal come in confident after an impressive Croatia Cup campaign, beating hosts Croatia and drawing against Poland. With two 18th-place finishes at the World Championship behind them, their third appearance carries hopes of going further, powered by their standout name, Hawa N’Diaye.

These sides have met twice before at World Championships, and Hungary won both: 30:20 in 2019 in the group phase and by the same score again in the 2023 main round.

GROUP G
18:00 CET Brazil vs Cuba

The competition in Group G will open with a clash of the two continental champions, as Brazil won the 2024 South and Central American (SCAHC) Women’s Championship and Cuba triumphed at the 2025 North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC) Women’s Championship. 

Brazil have won all nine previous competitive matches against Cuba, including a commanding 37:21 victory in their only meeting at the IHF Women’s World Championship, at Brazil 2011. Now the South American side, who are entering their 16th straight (and overall) tournament at this level, are seen as strong favourites again, relying on a solid mix of youth and experience.

Cuba, who are returning to the World Championship after a six-year break, have participated in four editions of the tournament so far, finishing between 21st and 23rd place. Seen as underdogs of the group, the Cubans hope to create some surprises at Germany/Netherlands 2025, and their immediate goal is to try to put some pressure on Brazil.

20:30 CET Sweden vs Czechia

Regarded as the group favourites, Sweden enter the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship with a match against fellow European side Czechia. In the past, the Scandinavians won both encounters with the Czechs at this level, taking victories at Austria/Hungary 1995 (20:18) and Germany 2017 (36:32). More recently, the rivals met in two friendly matches in October 2022, when Sweden won 36:20 before the two teams drew 26:26.

Sweden, who will play their 13th World Championship, finished fourth at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, matching their best-ever result at this level. Now Tomas Axnér’s team are aiming high again, and while they had some injury concerns in recent weeks, centre back Jenny Carlson has already recovered and line player Anna Lagerquist may join the team next week.

Czechia are entering their ninth World Championship as an independent nation, and just like the Swedes, they matched their best position in 2023, finishing eighth. While missing key player Markéta Jeřábková due to pregnancy is a big blow for the team, other players are ready to step up, and the Czechs hope to fight hard against Sweden.

Group H
18:00 CET Angola vs Kazakhstan

As African champions, Angola come into this group H opening clash as the clear favourites, despite Kazakhstan claiming silver in the recently-concluded Islamic Solidarity Games.

Coached by Carlos Viver, in his first world championship appearance as head coach with the team, Angola showed what they can be capable of, leading France at half-time in their recent warm-up game with Viver having world championship pedigree too – winning 2019 silver with Spain.

Leading Viver on court is captain Albertina Kassoma, who is appearing at her sixth senior world championship and as the job of ensuring the new additions and inexperienced youngsters in her side can gel together against a Kazakhstan side coached by Belarusian Aliaksandr Sytsko, who has been working hard to ensure that his team are not overwhelmed by the teams they face as they look to finish inside the top 20 for just the second time in history.

20:30 CET Norway vs Republic of Korea

Look at most previews of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship and one name stands out at the top of the predictions – Norway. The European and Olympic title-holders are entering a new era with coach Ole Gustav Gjekstad taking charge of the side for the first time in competition, replacing the legendary Thorir Hergiersson who ended his time with the Norwegians last year.

What is certain, is that the championship will be emotional for everyone connected with Norwegian, and arguably, world, handball as one of the most successful players ever Katrine Lunde has announced this will be her final event, at the age of 45.

Looking to upset the Norwegian goalkeeper in the first game of her final dance is the Republic of Korea. “Korea is a nation that usually starts championships very well, so we have to watch out for them. They play with a lot of speed and energy, and they’re strong when they’re fresh,” said Gjekstad about the Koreans, who the event 30 years ago, in 1995.