With less than one year to go until the start of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, the preparations for the competition are in full swing, with the schedule released on 21 November.

Furthermore, the IHF Executive Committee unanimously confirmed the request of the Local Organising Committees of Germany and the Netherlands to assign teams to different cities or groups according to Article 1.3.2. of the Regulations for IHF Competitions.

The two Local Organising Committees chose to assign the teams with the biggest fan bases as close as possible to their borders and to split the allegedly strongest teams – based on their previous results at the IHF Women’s World Championship – equally between both hosting nations.

The two hosts – Germany and the Netherlands – will feature in the preliminary round of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship in Groups C and E respectively, which will take place in Stuttgart and Rotterdam.

The only seeded team which has already secured their berth for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, France, the reigning world champions, will play in Group F in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Another side which is due to play in 's-Hertogenbosch, provided they secure their tickets for the competition, is Hungary, seeded in Group B.

Denmark, bronze medallists at the 2021 and 2023 IHF Women’s World Championships, will play in Group A in Rotterdam, provided they qualify for the world handball flagship competition.

The runners-up of the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship and current Olympic champions, Norway, are due to play in Group H in Trier, as well as Slovenia, which have been seeded in Group D. Both teams have not yet secured their place in the competition.

The last team to be seeded is Sweden, with the Scandinavian side set to play in Stuttgart in Group G if they secure their berth.

Only six teams have already qualified for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship: co-hosts Germany and the Netherlands, reigning world champions France and the top three sides from the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship, Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay.

The 27th IHF Women’s World Championship will be hosted by two countries – Germany and the Netherlands – and will take place between 26 November and 14 December 2025 in five venues, two in the Netherlands and three in Germany, with the final weekend being scheduled in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

2025 IHF Women’s World Championship – seedings Preliminary Round

Group A: DEN* – Rotterdam

Group B: HUN* – 's-Hertogenbosch

Group C: GER (Host) – Stuttgart

Group D: SLO* – Trier

Group E: NED (Host) – Rotterdam

Group F: FRA (2023 World Champions) – 's-Hertogenbosch

Group G: SWE* – Stuttgart

Group H: NOR* – Trier

*if qualified