Examining Group G: Two continental champions face two European teams in Stuttgart

Teams from three confederations are ready to take the court in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart when the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship throws off in Germany and the Netherlands, with three of the four sides earmarked as favourites for a place in the main round. Brazil (SCAHC) and Cuba (NACHC) are the current continental champions, but will face two strong tests against European opponents.

There are two European teams – Sweden and Czechia – but they will be challenged by a hungry Brazil side, as well as a Cuba team, which will return in the competition after a six-year break, a team which never made the cut for the main round so far in four editions of the world handball flagship competition.

Sweden have been one of the most consistent sides in the past 15 years at the IHF Women’s World Championship, making the top-10 in each of the seven editions they played in. They finished fourth at Germany 2017, seventh at Japan 2019, fifth at Spain 2021 and fourth again at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023.

With an ageing squad – the most experienced they will bring at the IHF Women’s World Championship in history, it is likely that this will be the last chance for a medal for stalwarts like Jamina Roberts, Linn Blohm or Nathalie Hagman, as the core of the Sweden national team is reaching the end of their international careers.

They will be facing a Brazil side, which they won against three times in competitive matches over the last 15 years, including a 26:23 win in the preliminary round at China 2009, the only time the two sides met at the IHF Women’s World Championship. The other two wins, 25:22 at Beijing 2008 and 34:31 at Tokyo 2020, came at the Olympic Games.

Sweden have also beat Czechia in five competitive matches, including twice at the IHF Women’s World Championship – 36:32 in the preliminary round at Germany 2017, and 20:18 in the Placement Matches 9/12 in 1995. The other two wins came at the EHF EURO 2020, 27:23, and at the EHF EURO 2021, 35:25,  as well as in the EHF EURO 2012 Qualifiers, 30:21 and 34:24.

More recently, the two teams have met in two friendly matches in October 2022, when Sweden took a win, 36:20 and the two teams drew in the second match, 26:26.

With Sweden earmarked as favourites for winning the group, the battle for the second place seems to be between Czechia and Brazil. Czechia, which has special memories from Germany, finishing eighth at the 2017 IHF Women’s World Championship, will not be able to rely on Markéta Jeřábková, the top goal scorer of the previous edition of the world handball flagship competition, due to pregnancy.

The two sides have met in the main round of the previous edition of the World Championship, when Brazil took a 30:27 win, but still finished lower than Czechia, as they aim to get back to the semi-finals.

In the extended roster of the Brazil national team, right wing Alexandra do Nascimento will make her return at 43 years old, adding more experience to a team which has changed their line-up, but will bring stars like goalkeepers Gabriela Moreschi and Renata de Arruda, as well as centre back Bruna de Paula Almeida.

Between Brazil and Cuba, there have been nine competitive meetings, only one which came at the World Championship, when Brazil beat their counterparts in 2011, 37:21. The other meetings came either at the Pan American Championship or the Pan American Games, with Brazil winning all the other eight matches, more recently in 2015, when they took a 26:22 win.

Cuba have never met Czechia and lost by 24 goals at the 2015 IHF Women’s World Championship against Sweden and they will need special performances against more experienced and well-rounded sides to progress to the main round. They are the North American and Caribbean champions, having won the continental championship, 32:21, against Mexico, back in April 2015.