Heavyweights collide on the second day of the quarter-finals, as co-hosts the Netherlands face Women's EHF EURO 2024 bronze medallists Hungary in the first quarter-final match in Ahoy Arena, Rotterdam, while title defenders France meet old rivals Denmark in the last match of the quarter-finals at the 2025 IHF Women's World Championship.

Quarter-finals
18:00 CET Netherlands vs Hungary

Co-hosts the Netherlands are living their dream. Playing at home in Rotterdam has given them an additional impetus in every match so far, and they now arrive at the quarter-finals unbeaten and ready to return to the podium. If they want a medal battle and a special farewell for Estavana Polman and Lois Abbingh, they will have to overcome Hungary.

For the Dutch, this is the chance to step back into the space they occupied from 2015 to 2019, when they collected three World Championship medals, including the world title in 2019, plus silver and bronze in the two previous editions. After finishing ninth and fifth at the last two championships, the hunger is bigger than ever, and playing in front of a sold-out arena is the perfect fuel.

The Netherlands have shown throughout the competition that they can cope with pressure when the heat rises and that their team game remains their greatest strength. Out of their 201 goals, 56 came from fast breaks, a clear warning that Hungary will need to minimize mistakes, though that is precisely the area where they excel. Hungary are the team with the fewest turnovers at the championship, averaging just eight.

The Dutch come into the knock-out phase full of confidence after beating France 26:23, a game where they stood firm in both directions and handled every French attempt. Yara Ten Holte was outstanding with a total of 40% saves so far, while Bo van Wetering with 32 goals and Dione Housheer with 25 continue to carry the scoring charge.

 

Across the court stands Vladimir Golovin's Hungary, a team that has made good progress in recent years and made it clear they are eager for more. For a side that reached the Olympic quarter-finals in both 2020 and 2024 and finished 10th at the last two World Championships, the bronze medal at the Women's EHF EURO 2024 was a major breakthrough. Their last World Championship medal dates back to 2005, also a bronze.

They know facing a co-host in Rotterdam will be anything but easy, and they cannot allow the atmosphere of a sold-out arena to shake them. If anyone knows what that pressure feels like, though, it is this Hungarian team, who won bronze last year on home soil.

Hungary's best match so far was the narrow loss to Denmark, a game they led for long stretches before losing it in the closing moments. Before that came a draw against Japan, a crucial win against Romania, and three victories in the group phase—not a perfect road, but one that showed character.

They are led by Katrin Klujber with 20 goals and Gréta Márton with 28, while Zsófi Szemerey and Kinga Janurik form a strong goalkeeping duo that mirrors the impact of the Dutch keepers. Statistically, the Hungarian attack and defence sit close to the Dutch, with only a nine-goal difference in both scored and conceded.

This will be the fourth World Championship meeting between the two teams. The last one came in 2009, and the Netherlands have never beaten Hungary on the world stage. Their most recent encounter was at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where the Dutch won 30:26.

21:00 CET Denmark vs France

Denmark and France meet in a quarter-final that easily could have been a medal match, but here they are, one will move on, one will go home. The title holders against the 2023 bronze medallists, and a duel already filled with extra emotion after their semi-final clash at the Women's EHF EURO 2024. A duel of known rivals, but also of two teams carrying a long list of absences, from injuries to pregnancies.

Denmark, under new coach Helle Thomsen, arrive hungry for another big result and remain unbeaten at Germany/Netherlands 2025. Their last game, however, was a very tough one, as they had to turn things around in the second half against Hungary and scrape out a narrow 28:27 win.

Even so, Denmark once again showed their speed, their ability to punish mistakes, and their fast break efficiency, with Julie Scaglione leading them so far with 32 goals. They enter the match as the second-best attack of the championship with 214 goals scored, or 35.67 on average, while defensively they sit seventh with 24.67 conceded.

Numbers aside, their defensive wall is still strong, backed by Amalie Milling and Anna Kristensen, who together stand at 35% save efficiency. And when you add the fact that Denmark returned from the last five major competitions with five medals, two silvers, and three bronzes, it's clear they aren't here to slow down now.

The same can be said for France, the reigning world champions. After lifting the trophy in 2023 and taking silver in 2021, plus another Olympic silver at Paris 2024, they arrive with the usual pressure that follows a title defender, especially this new look French team led by Sébastien Gardillou.

They come into this match after their perfect record was cut short by the co-hosts Netherlands, a match where their attacking efficiency was far below their standard. Lucie Granier leads the scoring with 27 goals, while Léna Grandveau has delivered 24 goals and an impressive 30 assists. Their attack sits just behind Denmark's with 213 goals scored. Defensively, though, they still looked solid, with their goalkeepers remaining one of their strong links.

These two teams have met more than 40 times, including seven World Championship encounters. Denmark hold four wins, but have never won in a knock-out match. France took all three of those: the 1999 quarter-final, and the 2011 and 2021 semi-finals.

Placement Match 31/32
11:00 CET Islamic Republic of Iran vs Kazakhstan

Both Asian sides are still waiting for their first win at the tournament, having lost six matches in a row. However, each of the rivals is determined to end the tournament on a high.

The teams met in two previous World Championships, in 2021 and 2023, and Kazakhstan had the upper hand both times, winning 31:25 and 33:29. While Iran finished 31st at both tournaments, now they need a win to have the same placement.

Placement Match 29/30
13:30 CET Uruguay vs Cuba

After five consecutive defeats, Uruguay finally opened their account at the tournament, beating Iran 27:16. Now the South American team, who play at the World Championship after a 14-year break, hope to claim another win.

Cuba defeated Kazakhstan and drew with Egypt in the President's Cup, but even 14 goals from Lorena Tellez did not prevent them from a 30:34 loss against People's Republic of China. With three points, they finished third in Group II, behind Egypt on goal difference, and now will compete for the 29th position.

Placement Match 27/28
16:00 CET Paraguay vs Egypt

Following two straight wins against Uruguay and Iran, Paraguay missed a chance to reach the President's Cup final, losing to Croatia 17:30 in a crucial match. However, they will try to get back to winning ways in their last match at the tournament against Egypt.

The African debutants wrote history on Monday, taking their first-ever victory at the World Championship in style, 30:18 against Kazakhstan. That result helped them leapfrog Cuba and finish second in Group II, and now the Egyptians hope to record another win.

Placement Match 25/26 - President's Cup final
18:30 CET Croatia vs People's Republic of China

Being the only European team in the President's Cup, Croatia claimed three confident wins in Group II and reached the final of the consolation tournament. In any case, the Balkan side are certain to have their lowest-ever ranking at the World Championship, but they are determined to claim the trophy.

In the past, Croatia and China met twice at this level, and the Europeans won both duels, 35:29 in 2005 and 39:13 in 2023. Now Croatia are seen as favourites again, but the Chinese, who are also on a three-game winning run, hope to upset their rivals and lift the President's Cup. In any case, China will finish higher than in the two previous editions of the World Championship, as they ranked 32nd in 2021 and 28th in 2023.