Six European teams travel to Dortmund as the Westfalenhalle welcomes the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship for the main round.

Co-hosts Germany are joined by Spain, Serbia, Iceland, Montenegro and debutants Faroe Islands as they open up their campaigns to be one of the top two teams to make it through to the quarter-finals.

In Rotterdam and s'Hertogenbosch, the preliminary round will conclude and the last two participating teams in the main round will be decided.

Main Round, Group II
15:30 CET Spain vs Serbia

Ahead of this game, Serbia coach Jose Ignacio Prades Pons added left back Teodora Veličković to his squad as he prepares to face a Spain side he coached until recently, and one where he worked under current coach Ambros Martin.

Both sides come into the game with two points each and anything gained from this clash will be a crucial step on a path to the last eight. The two teams met as recently just over a week ago at the Posten Cup in Norway, with Spain winning 29:27 in the warm-up tournament.

“They are a very strong team with experienced players they have recruited specifically for this championship,” said Martin to rfebm.com. “Their coach is also a friend of mine. It's going to be a complex match.”

18:00 CET Iceland vs Montenegro

Iceland have the most difficult task for all teams at the start in Dortmund with zero points carried through. They know nothing less than a win against Montenegro (2 points) is needed if they want to keep dreaming of progressing in just their third-ever global event.

They have already beaten their ranking of last time out (25th) by making the main round and know that their impressive, narrow loss against Serbia in the preliminary group (27:26) highlights their potential to cause a shock against the EURO 2022 bronze medallists.

“We made a lot of mistakes, but we're moving forward and we have three more games in which we have to be better,” said Montenegro goalkeeper Armelle Attingre to vjesti.me after their preliminary group loss to Spain, a game in which they were expected to get two points. “We still have a chance to make it to the quarter-finals, and we know that we can play much better in both defence and offence.”

20:30 CET Germany vs Faroe Islands

With four points carried through from Stuttgart, co-hosts Germany are in the strongest stating position out of all six teams in group II, but know that debutants Faroe Islands will prove to be a tough test.

It is also set to be a match off court too with the home fans not having the arena all to themselves – the Faroes bringing well over 200 of their own supporters, who will do their best to be heard.

Germany have never played the Faroe Islands before but will be aware of their potential to pull off a shock – just ask Spain, who were beaten by them in Trier. “We want to perform just as well in the main round as we did in the preliminary round,” said Faroe Islands coach Claus Mogensen before departing from Trier to handball.net. “We're taking it step-by-step. We have respect for our opponents, but we also have nothing to lose.”

GROUP E
18:00 CET Argentina vs Egypt

Argentina and Egypt both struggled against the two European sides in the group, with the Netherlands and Austria proving too strong. Now the two teams meet in a direct battle for the last available place in the main round.

Heading into the matchup, Argentina hold the advantage. Across the first two games, they scored more and conceded fewer goals than Egypt, which means a draw would be enough for them to progress. Argentina aim to extend their consistent record, as they have not finished worse than 23rd at any of the last four World Championships. Once again, they rely on their standout leader Elke Karsten, who has scored 13 goals so far, while Micaela Joana Casasola and Malena Cavo continue to impress with both goals and assists.

Egypt, debuting at this level, are aiming for a historic result. To overcome the 2024 South and Central America Championship runners-up, however, they will need more concentration and a stronger defensive display than shown in their first two outings. Three Egyptian players have already surpassed five goals in the tournament: Ehsan Abdelnaeim, Touka Gadallah and Yara Mahmoud.

20:30 CET Netherlands vs Austria

One of the co-hosts prepares for another big night in the sold-out Ahoy Arena, where the Netherlands will once again draw energy from their passionate home crowd. After two wins against Argentina and Egypt, the team now face their first major test – the battle for first place in the group and the four points they hope to carry into the main round, which will also be played in Rotterdam.

The Dutch overcame their opening-day nerves and looked far more composed in their second match, settling into rhythm and showing the control expected from a title contender. But their toughest challenge so far arrives on Tuesday against Austria. While many consider the Netherlands clear favourites, Austria have no intention of accepting that narrative. They aim to prove they belong in this clash and are ready to surprise.

Under coach Henrik Signell, the Netherlands continue to embrace the Scandinavian-style tempo he has integrated into their system, building on foundations laid at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, where they finished sixth. Team spirit remains their biggest strength, but Dione Housheer with 11 goals and Zoë Sprengers with 10 have been the standout scorers.

Austria’s goal is to show clear progress from the 2023 World Championship, where they finished 19th. Head coach Monique Tijsterman has reshaped the team since taking charge, and this young group now faces its biggest challenge yet – taking on one of the hosts. Their attack is led by Klara Schlegel, Ines Ivancok-Šoltić and Eleonora Stanković, all orchestrated by playmaker Ana Pandža, who currently ranks among the tournament’s top five in assists.

This will be the third time the Netherlands and Austria meet at the World Championship, with the co-hosts having won both previous encounters.

GROUP F
18:30 CET Tunisia vs People’s Republic of China

Whichever team advances to the main round, it will be a major milestone for both. Tunisia returned to the World Championship after missing the 2023 edition; in 2021 they competed in the President’s Cup and finished 27th. China, meanwhile, participated in 2023 and placed 28th, following a 32nd-place finish in 2021 — both times after President’s Cup play.

Now Tunisia and China go head-to-head for a breakthrough result, with Tunisia entering in a slightly better position, as a draw would be enough for them to advance. They opened the tournament with a heavy 18:43 loss to France but showed much greater resilience in a competitive 26:29 defeat to Poland. China lost 20:36 to Poland in their opener and were again outmatched by France, falling 21:47.

Who stays in ’s-Hertogenbosch and who moves on to Rotterdam will be decided in this match. Tunisia rely heavily on Sondes Hachana Ep Kerkeni, their most reliable scorer so far, while China look to their key attacking duo of Chan Liu and Xuedan Liu.

21:00 CET France vs Poland

Reigning champions France enter this game on fire, chasing first place as the most efficient team in the competition, with 90 goals scored in two matches. They showed no signs of slowing down against either Tunisia or the People’s Republic of China, maintaining intensity regardless of the scoreline. They will look to continue that ruthless form as they face Poland in the contest for four main round points, aiming to remain perfect at Germany/Netherlands 2025.

Poland also boast a perfect record so far, but after a clear 36:20 win over China, they faced tougher resistance than expected against Tunisia, only breaking away late in the second half for a 29:26 victory. Arne Senstad’s side are fully aware of the challenge that awaits. France rarely lose, and their attack has been outstanding, achieving an 82% overall efficiency. Suzanne Wajoka has been unstoppable with 17 goals from as many attempts, while Lucie Granier is also perfect with 12. They are supported by the powerhouse line trio of Sarah Bouktit, Pauletta Foppa and Onacia Ondono.

Poland’s biggest offensive threat so far has been Magda Balsam, who has scored 16 goals across the first two matches. They will also rely heavily on playmaker Karolina Kochaniak and the goalkeeping duo of Adrianna Płaczek and Paulina Wdowiak to try to slow down the French machine.

The two nations share a rich rivalry. At the World Championship, they have met six times, with Poland holding four wins to France’s two. Their most recent meeting came at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, where France prevailed 35:22.