Six years ago, the Netherlands secured their biggest performance in history at the IHF Women’s World Championship, securing the title in a dramatic last-gasp win against Spain at Japan 2019.

It followed a run of fantastic performances, with a silver medal at Denmark 2015 and a bronze medal at Germany 2017, as in only three editions of the IHF Women’s World Championship, the European side managed to complete the hat-trick of medals.

Senegal are returning to the IHF Women’s World Championship for the third time in history and for the second consecutive time in a row, after finishing 18th in both of their previous appearances in the competition.

But while in 2019 they only secured one win in the preliminary round, against Kazakhstan, 30:20, and then beat DR Congo, in the President’s Cup, two years ago they qualified for the main round with a win against the People’s Republic of China, 22:15, and then produced a huge shock drawing against Croatia, 22:22.

Despite laying claim to having one of the best women’s teams in the world in the early 2010s, following their London 2012 Olympic Games silver and European Championship gold the same year, Montenegro have never finished higher than fifth in an IHF Women’s World Championship.

Romania are the only team in history to have taken part at each and every edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship, this being their 27th appearance. However, the European side has been navigating on shaky ground over the last editions, having finished 10th at Germany 2017, 12th at Japan 2019, 13th at Spain 2021 and 12th at Denmark/Norway/Sweden 2023.

Czechia will be appearing at an IHF Women’s World Championship as an independent nation for the ninth time.

And while the pedigree of their former nation is in no doubt – they won the first-ever indoor women’s World Championship in 1957 – it has been a longer process for the independent nation, eighth their best ranking, gained both in 2017 and last time out, in 2023.

For the 19th time in a row, the People’s Republic of China will be present at the IHF Women’s World Championship, one of the longest streaks in history for any team present in this edition of the world handball flagship competition.

The Asian side’s best results – two top-10 finishes – came in 1986 and 1990, when they ended up ninth and eighth respectively, as well as a 12th place finish in 2009, when the People’s Republic of China were the hosts.

Just over 50 years since the first recorded match for their women’s team, the northern European nation will appear on the global stage for their debut at a senior IHF World Championship.

Back at home in November 1974, the Faroese women made history with that first-ever game, against Iceland, a full six years before the Handball Federation of the Faroe Islands was formed after becoming independent of the ‘Ítróttasamband Føroya’ (Sports Federation of the Faroe Islands).

Cuba’s women return to IHF World Championship action after winning the 2025 North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation (NACHC) Women’s Championship held in Mexico last April – it was their third gold medal in six editions of the continental event.

Poland recorded their best-ever streak at the IHF Women’s World Championship back in 2013 and 2015, when they made the semi-finals twice, but failed to secure a medal, ending up on the fourth place each time.

That golden generation has been replaced by a one which has constantly strived to improve, however the results have been mixed. In 2017, Poland ended up on the 17th place, failing to qualify from the preliminary round. Two years later, at Japan 2019, they failed to make the cut for the competition.

Angola – nicknamed ‘The Pearls’ – once again set the continental standard, winning the African championship last year to qualify through to Germany/Netherlands 2025.

It was their 15th gold in the past 17 editions of the continental event and ensured the Angolans have not missed an edition of the world championship since qualifying through to their first-ever IHF Women’s World Championship in 1990.