The 2026 IHF Women's Youth (U18) World Championship is taking shape. With the draw for the preliminary round completed on Friday, 8 May, at the new IHF House in Basel, the road of the competition is now clearly mapped out, with eight groups, 32 teams and the promise of the finest women's youth handball the world has to offer, from 29 July to 9 August in Romania.

Based on the Regulations for IHF Competitions, the 2026 IHF Women's Youth World Championship draw was conducted using four performance rows. The preliminary round will consist of eight groups of four teams each, with the top two sides in each group progressing to the main round.

Teams in Pot 1 were drawn in performance row 1, Pot 2 in row 2, Pot 3 in row 3 and Pot 4 in row 4. The 4th performance row was drawn first, followed by the 3rd and then the 1st row. Teams from Pots 4, 3 and 1 (starting with Pot 4 and in descending order) were drawn into Groups A–H in alphabetical order, i.e., the team drawn first went into Group A, the second team into Group B, etc. 

The 2nd performance row was drawn last, with the hosts, Romania, having the prerogative to assign themselves to a group of their choice in row 2 before the remaining Pot 2 teams were drawn into Groups A–H in alphabetical order.

Romania chose to be part of Group F, where they will face the People’s Republic of China, Kazakhstan and Uruguay. 

The reigning world champions, Spain, will face Germany, Guinea and Uzbekistan, in Group C, with three continents represented. 

Three continents are also represented in Group A, where Croatia, France, Egypt and Fiji will feature, while Denmark are favoured in Group B, with Czechia, the Republic of Korea and Mexico also being in this group.

 

In Group D, Montenegro, Argentina, the Netherlands and one team to be decided will make battle for the top two places, while in Group E, two European powerhouses in Sweden and Hungary will meet Tunisia and Canada.

European champions Slovakia are in Group G, with Japan, Brazil and Angola, while in Group H Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia and Algeria are due to face each other to play for a main round spot.

The competition will be played from 29 July to 9 August in four venues in Romania – Pitești, Mioveni, Craiova and Râmnicu Vâlcea.

The top two teams in each group will progress to the main round, with the other two teams heading to the President's Cup. The top two sides from each main round group will qualify for the quarter-finals.

Following the withdrawal of Paraguay - who had qualified for the 2026 IHF Women's Youth World Championship as the fourth-ranked team in the final standings of the 2025 Women's South and Central American Youth Championship - the International Handball Federation initiated consultations with Chile and Venezuela as prospective replacement teams, the teams finishing fifth and sixth in the continental competition.

As both federations have indicated their inability to participate at this stage, the IHF will determine the identity of the 32nd participating team in the competition in due course, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

2026 IHF Women's Youth World Championship - draw results

Group A: Croatia, France, Egypt, Fiji
Group B: Denmark, Czechia, Republic of Korea, Mexico
Group C: Spain, Germany, Guinea, Uzbekistan
Group D: Montenegro, Argentina, Netherlands, TBD
Group E: Hungary, Sweden, Tunisia, Canada
Group F: People’s Republic of China, Romania, Kazakhstan, Uruguay
Group G: Slovakia, Japan, Brazil, Angola
Group H: Switzerland, Serbia, Slovenia, Algeria