32 teams learnt their fate on Thursday, 22 May, as they embark on the journey for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship. In a star-studded ceremony, the draw for the preliminary round of the world handball flagship competition took place in the historic halls of the Noordbrabants Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch, one of the five hosts cities of the competition.

Helping with the draw were former Germany goalkeeper Clara Woltering, and two Dutch players which wrote history for their side, winning a hat-trick of medals at the IHF Women's World Championship, right wing Debbie Bont, and the former captain of the team, line player Danick Snelder.

Presenting the trophy of the IHF Women’s World Championship was the All-Star goalkeeper of the 2019 edition, Tess Lieder, who won the title with the Netherlands.

 “I think it’s incredibly special, as a players’ point of view, all you want is to play a World Championship and I think playing in front of your own crowd is something amazing. It is the most precious medal I own, we won some medals, if we could have won it in the Netherlands, I would change it in a second. This time, the players will travel for the fans, not the fans for the players, therefore, we are all waiting,” said Lieder.

Reigning champions France will play in Group F, where they are facing Poland, Tunisia and wild card People’s Republic of China.

Norway, the reigning Olympic champions, will feature in Group H, alongside African champions Angola, plus two Asian sides in Republic of Korea and Kazakhstan.



On paper, the toughest group will be Group A, due to be played in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with bronze medallists at the last two editions of the IHF Women’s World Championship, Denmark, facing Romania, Japan and Croatia. Denmark conceded a loss on their home court in the main round against Japan in the previous edition, in 2023.

Co-hosts Netherlands are also going to play in Rotterdam, in Group E, where they are going to face Poland, Argentina and debutants Egypt.

Germany, the other co-hosts, will face Serbia, Iceland and Uruguay in Group C, while in Group B, Hungary, Switzerland, Senegal and the Islamic Republic of Iran face off for the three main round berths.

Another well-balanced group looks to be Group G, where Sweden, a perennial contender for a medal in the previous editions of the competition, are facing former world champions Brazil, as well as Czechia, the eighth-placed side at the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship and Cuba.

In Group D, which will be played in Trier, debutants Faroe Islands are due to meet Montenegro, Spain and Uruguay.

The 27th edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship will take place in five cities – ‘s-Hertogenbosch and Rotterdam in the Netherlands and Stuttgart, Dortmund and Trier in Germany – between 26 November and 14 December 2025.

2025 IHF Women’s World Championship – preliminary round draw results

• Group A (in Rotterdam, Netherlands): Denmark, Romania, Japan, Croatia
• Group B (in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands): Hungary, Switzerland, Senegal, Islamic Republic of Iran
• Group C (in Stuttgart, Germany): Germany, Serbia, Iceland, Uruguay
• Group D (in Trier, Germany): Montenegro, Spain, Faroe Islands, Paraguay
• Group E (in Rotterdam, Netherlands): Netherlands, Austria, Argentina, Egypt
• Group F (in 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands): France, Poland, Tunisia, People’s Republic of China
• Group G (in Stuttgart, Germany): Sweden, Brazil, Czechia, Cuba
• Group H (in Trier, Germany): Norway, Angola, Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan