Germany/Netherlands 2025 will be Spain’s 10th successive IHF Women’s World Championship appearance, but it comes off the back of one of their worst-ever rankings, 13th place at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023.

That lowly place for one of Europe’s handball powerhouses was second only to their 15th place gained on their debut in 1993 and is part of a series of disappointing rankings in their last three major competition.

Despite qualifying for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, they failed to record a victory in any of their five preliminary group games, finishing bottom of their group and not making the quarter-finals, eventually ranking 12th – another worst-ever ranking. This was equalled at the subsequent 2024 European Championships where they again recorded their worst-ever historic ranking – finishing 13th to tie their 2002 unwanted record.

Head coach of Spain for all three of these competitions was the decorated coach Ambros Martin, who is tasked with refreshing, rebuilding and renewing the team ahead of the nation hosting the 2029 IHF Women’s World Championship.

Evidence of this renewal in players is clear: 11 players without senior World Championship experience were in the squads for Spain’s recent 2026 European Championship qualification wins, against Greece (35:15) and Israel (38:22). These include Lyndie Tchaptchet, Elba Alvarez, Ona Vegue, Carmen Arroyo, Maddi Bengoetxea, Lisa Oppedal, Lucía Prades, Anne Erauskin, Paola Bernabe, Nicole Wiggins and Ester Somaza.

Almost half of the new arrivals played in the crucial 23:17 second leg world championship qualification play-off win against Croatia at home in April, a crucial six-goal victory overturning a 27:26 loss in Croatia a few days earlier, to ensure a 49:44 aggregate win. 

Spain find themselves facing Montenegro, Faroe Islands and Paraguay in their group D preliminary campaign in Trier, Germany. Spain’s record against Montenegro is equal, the sides winning against each other four times each and drawing once in their nine games. Two of these games were world championship ones, Spain taking a 23:19 win in the Round of 16 at Brazil 2011, and another, at Japan 2019, in the preliminary round (27:26).

Paraguay and Spain have gone head-to-head twice, both in the world championship, Spain winning twice, at Germany 2017 (32:15) and Serbia 2023 (29:9).

Martin’s provisional 35-name squad is captained by centre back Alicia Fernandez, one of a number of players playing her club handball outside Spain, in Poland, with others playing in Denmark, Germany, France and Romania. Spanish champions Super Amara Bera Bera provided eight players for the recent European qualification games, ensuring a balance between the home and away based players.

“We are approaching the world championship with great enthusiasm,” said Martin to ihf.info. “We introduced many young players after the Paris Olympic Games, and in the last European Championship we didn't reach the main round, but the feelings were really good.

“We'll travel to Trier with the desire to maintain this positive trend, to gain minutes and experience so that, step-by-step, Spain regains its place among the best teams in the world.”

Key players: Paula Arcos (right back), Danila So Delgado-Pinto (left back), Kaba Gassama Cissokho (line player)

Coach: Ambros Martin

Qualification for Germany/Netherlands 2025: European Qualifiers – Phase 2: 49:44 on aggregate against Croatia

History in tournament: 1993: 15th, 2001: 10th, 2003: 5th, 2007: 10th, 2009: 4th, 2011: 3rd, 2013: 9th, 2015: 12th, 2017: 11th, 2019: 2nd, 2021: 4th, 2023: 13th

Group at Germany/Netherlands 2025: Group D (Montenegro, Spain, Faroe Islands, Paraguay)