The Westfalenhalle in Dortmund sees the second matchday of main round group II action take place with the co-hosts looking to secure their quarter-final spot for the fourth, consecutive time (2019: 8th, 2021: 7th, 2023: 6th).

In Rotterdam, Netherlands and France, the group leaders, are aiming for their fourth consecutive win to boost their chances for a main round spot.

Main Round, Group II
15:30 CET Serbia vs Faroe Islands

With their incredible eight-goal turnaround win against Spain last time out, Serbia come into this early clash full of energy and optimism with a win propelling them to joint top of the group with Germany on six points – at least for a few hours.

They face the Faroe Islands for the first time in a world championship are also looking for a win and two points – needed to keep what is already a dream moving forwards with slim hopes of a final eight place themselves.

18:00 CET Montenegro vs Germany

The two top-placed teams in the group know that whomever wins this clash will be in a strong position to take the group title and have a slightly easier last eight opponent, while a win for the co-hosts will secure passage through to the quarter-finals.

“Montenegro is a team that has absolute quality. They have a lot of heart and a fighting spirit,” said Germany’s assistant coach Frederick Griesbach to dhb.de. “We have to accept this fight and fight it. With Jaukovic, Grbic, and Pletikosic they have extremely strong backcourt players, and they also have a fantastic pivot in Tatjana Brnovic.”

In the last six games Germany have won twice and lost four times, the most recent match a 28:24 victory in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games qualification tournament in Neu-Ulm.

Montenegro right-back Jelena Vukcevic is looking forward to facing the hosts at home. “Playing in front of a full crowd is always difficult, but at the same time a great motivation,” she said to rscg.me. “We have a very demanding opponent ahead of us, but with discipline and our character I believe we can handle any opponent – even Germany.”

20:30 CET Iceland vs Spain

Ahead of the second day of matches in group II, Iceland were the only team which knew their destiny 100% - they had no chance of qualifying through to the quarter-finals.

Their loss against Montenegro last time out confirmed their exit but they will be facing a Spain side desperate to cling on to some hopes of qualifying through, at least at the beginning of the day after squandering a six-goal lead against Serbia last time out to lose by two.

“Even if we are able to qualify through or not, we really have to keep together for the group and for us to keep growing as a group, as a team, and that's the most important thing now, because we are a very young team,” said Spain’s Danilo Patricia So Delgado-Pinto to ihf.info after that loss.

Main Round, Group III
15:30 CET Argentina vs Poland

Argentina celebrated their first win at Germany/Netherlands 2025 by beating Egypt 27:14 in the last round, thus securing another main round appearance. Tough outings against co-hosts the Netherlands (25:32) and Austria (23:27) showed they still struggle to keep pace with European sides, and a new dose of that challenge now awaits. They open the main round in Rotterdam against Poland and, despite all the drive and heart they bring, Argentina will have to outperform themselves to cause an upset.

Arne Senstad’s team arrive with two points after victories over the People’s Republic of China (36:20) and Tunisia (29:26), before bravely falling to France 28:48. The result, however, does not tell the full story. Poland pushed the world champions for more than 40 minutes, matching their tempo and rarely letting go. That version of Poland is exactly what they want to carry into the remainder of the main round.

Right wing Magda Balsam continues to shine as their top scorer with 24 goals, while Karolina Kochaniak leads the playmaking department with 12 assists. Argentina’s strongest link remains Elke Karsten, who has already netted 18 goals.

This will be the third World Championship meeting between the two sides, and Argentina have yet to beat Poland. Their previous encounters ended 31:17 in 2013 and 38:20 in 2017.

18:00 CET France vs Austria

Title holders France completed their group phase exactly as expected and reached the main round with four points in their pocket. A newly structured France, but still as powerful as ever, enter this stage with clear ambitions: to stay perfect and keep the quarter-final path as smooth as possible. Their main round journey begins against Austria, a young and hungry side led by Monique Tijsterman.

France hold the favourites’ status here, arriving as the most efficient team of the competition, averaging 44 goals per match, almost eight more than second-placed Denmark. Suzanne Wajoka leads the team with 23 goals at a near-perfect 96% efficiency, while Léna Grandveau has been spectacular with 16 goals and 24 assists, running the show with maturity. Defensively, they are just as strong, ranking among the top six of the competition.

Austria, on the other hand, carry two points into the main round after losing only to co-hosts the Netherlands (22:34) and beating both Argentina and Egypt. The team that finished 15th at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024 now want to turn this World Championship into another step forward. Even without Johanna Reichert and Katarina Pandža, Austria have found their leaders in Klara Schlegel, Ana Pandža, Ines Ivančok‑Šoltić and Eleonora Stanković, guiding a side that has averaged 26 goals so far.

The history between the two teams leans heavily in France’s favour. They have met four times at the World Championship, with Austria winning only once, back in 1999 (22:19). Their most recent duel ended 41:27 for France in 2023.

20:30 CET Netherlands vs Tunisia

The Netherlands remain in Rotterdam and expect another wave of support from their home crowd as they continue their World Championship journey. With every game in the sold‑out Ahoy Arena, the energy has grown – and so has their confidence. Three wins from three — 32:25 against Argentina, 37:15 against Egypt and 34:22 against Austria — have set them firmly on course for a return among the world’s elite, six years after lifting their historic world title that followed a silver and a bronze.

Under coach Henrik Signell, the team moves with clear purpose. Dione Housheer and Zoë Sprengers continue to drive the attack, while goalkeepers Rinka Duijndam and Yara ten Holte, at 47% and 37% save efficiency respectively, form a reliable duo. Now they meet the only non-European opponent of their main round path.

A win would open the quarter-final door, though the Netherlands are well aware that their toughest main round test awaits on the final day against France. That makes rotation, control and focus essential against Tunisia, a side entering the main round with zero points but renewed confidence after defeating China 34:28 on the last day of the group phase. That turnaround came through a strong second half and key stops from goalkeeper Roa Mkadem.

Tunisia will need far more than that now, because the Netherlands boast the sixth-best attack of the competition and a defence ranked inside the top five. To stay competitive, Tunisia must deliver in both directions of the court, for all 60 minutes.

President’s Cup Group I
11:00 CET Croatia vs Islamic Republic of Iran

It was a frustrating group stage for Croatia, who lost all three of their matches against Romania, Denmark and Japan in Group A to become the only European side in the President’s Cup. It will be the worst finish at a World Championship in the team’s history, with the current low being 18th place at Spain 2021.

Nevertheless, the Balkan side are looking for redemption and on Thursday they will be the favourites against the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Asian team also failed to take any points in Group B, losing to Switzerland, Hungary and Senegal.

13:30 CET Uruguay vs Paraguay

The two teams know each other well, having met many times at continental level. Last year, they faced off at the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship, where Uruguay won 25:20, finishing third, with Paraguay in fourth place.

At Germany/Netherlands 2025, neither side managed to earn any points in the group stage. In Group C, Uruguay lost against Serbia, Germany and Iceland, while in Group D, Paraguay came up short against Spain, Montenegro and the Faroe Islands. Both teams are now looking for their maiden win at this tournament.

President’s Cup Group II
16:00 CET Egypt vs People’s Republic of China

In the group stage, Egypt had the second-least efficient attack in the entire tournament, scoring just 49 goals. As a result, the African side, who are making their debut at the IHF Women’s World Championship, lost all three of their matches in Group E against Austria, the Netherlands and Argentina.

China are much more experienced at this level, featuring at the tournament for the 19th time. However, they also failed to earn any points in Group F, losing against Poland, France and Tunisia.

18:30 CET Cuba vs Kazakhstan

The Cubans, who returned to the World Championship after a six-year break, suffered three heavy defeats in Group G, losing to Brazil, Sweden and Czechia. The Central American side struggled in defence, conceding 131 goals – the worst figure in the tournament.

Kazakhstan also lost all three games in Group H, against Angola, Norway and the Republic of Korea. They now hope to do better in the President’s Cup and improve on their placement from Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, where they finished 30th.