Six years ago, the Netherlands secured their biggest performance in history at the IHF Women’s World Championship, securing the title in a dramatic last-gasp win against Spain at Japan 2019.

It followed a run of fantastic performances, with a silver medal at Denmark 2015 and a bronze medal at Germany 2017, as in only three editions of the IHF Women’s World Championship, the European side managed to complete the hat-trick of medals.

However, from that moment on, the Netherlands could not make other semi-finals appearance, ending up on the ninth place at Spain 2021 and on the fifth place at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023, when they were eliminated by Norway in the quarter-finals.

But now, the ambitions are once again high, especially as the Netherlands will be co-hosting the competition alongside Germany, with the hosts eyeing a medal once again, especially as their golden generation could be featuring at the IHF Women’s World Championship for the last time, with Estavana Polman, the MVP of Japan 2019, and Lois Abbingh, the top scorer of Japan 2019, both being 33 years old now.

Since 2014, the Netherlands have finished in the top-10 of every major competition they took part in, including a fourth place at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and fifth at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. In the last edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship, the Dutch side ended fifth, with one loss, in the quarter-finals against Norway.

However, over the last six years, despite having four different coaches in charge, the Dutch side has heavily promoted young players, as their pipeline of talents has been producing some excellent prospects.

One of them was already a gold medallist at the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship, but now right back Dione Housheer has been getting more and more attention, becoming the fulcrum of the Dutch side.

“It's really an honour to play a World Championship in your home country, just to play all the games in such a big arena. I think all my friends and family will be around and just to see that the handball is growing in the Netherlands and there is even more attention and so many tickets sold is perfect,” said Housheer in an interview with ihf.info.

“I think every one of my teammates want to win and achieve a special result and for us it is going to be really special. I am really looking forward to play this competition at home and play every match in the Ahoy filled with Dutch fans.”

Swedish coach Henrik Signell has been appointed by Netherlands in October 2024, having a little over a year to prepare for the competition. He is the fourth coach for the Netherlands over the last five years, after Emmanuel Mayonnade, Monique Tijsterman and Per Johansson.

And he has already led the Netherlands to a sixth place at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024, where the Dutch side started with four wins, but lost three of the last four matches, including against the finalists, Norway and Denmark.

Now, the co-hosts will be favoured once again in their group, alongside fellow European team, Austria, as well as Argentina and Egypt, as the Dutch side has a positive head-to-head record against the first two teams.

And with Group E crossing with Group F for the main round, where they will face three teams out of France, Poland, Tunisia and the People’s Republic of China, the path towards quarter-finals looks quite straightforward.

“We have not won a medal for some years now, therefore it would be the ultimate dream to win a medal at home, in front of an orange Ahoy Arena, therefore we are definitely thinking about it and doing everything in our power to do it,” said Housheer.

Key players: Dione Housheer (right back), Estavana Polman (centre back), Lois Abbingh (left back), Bo van Wetering (left wing)

Coach: Henrik Signell

Qualification for Germany/Netherlands 2025: Co-hosts

History in tournament: 1971: 8th, 1973: 12th, 1978: 9th, 1986: 10th, 1999: 10th, 2001: 16th, 2005: 5th, 2011: 15th, 2013: 13th, 2015: 2nd, 2017: 3rd, 2019: Winner, 2021: 9th, 2023: 5th

Group at Germany/Netherlands 2025: Group E (Netherlands, Austria, Argentina, Egypt)