2025 Women’s Handball World Championship: National Teams and Expectations of the Handball Elite

Every two years, the 32 top handball teams in the world gather to determine who has the best squad. In 2025, the 27th edition of the Women’s Handball World Championship will take place. In addition to watching the best plays in the sport, fans can also enjoy placing Sports Bets.

The competition is scheduled to happen between November 26 and December 14, with venues in Germany and the Netherlands. Check out all the tournament details in this special guide prepared by Blaze to keep you informed and ready to bet!

About the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship

The 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship is the third edition featuring 32 teams, divided into eight groups of four. This stage will be held from November 26 to December 8. The top three teams in each group advance to the second phase, called the Main Round, while the last-place teams move to the President’s Cup.

The Main Round features 24 teams in four groups of six, with matches from December 2 to 8. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarterfinals, scheduled for December 9 and 10, when the knockout stage begins. The semifinals take place on December 12 and the final on December 14.

The President’s Cup has two groups of four teams. Based on their standings, matches are played to determine the rankings from 25th to 32nd place.

This is the fourth time the World Championship is hosted by more than one country. In the Netherlands, Rotterdam hosts matches from Groups A and E in the first phase, Groups I and III in the Main Round, and knockout-round games, including the final, at Ahoy Arena.

The Maaspoort, in ’s-Hertogenbosch, hosts Groups B and F and the President’s Cup, with the bottom teams from all groups. In Germany, in Dortmund, the Westfalenhalle will host matches from Groups II and IV in the Main Round and quarterfinal games. Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart and SWT Arena in Trier will host Groups C and G, and D and H, respectively.

Group A

With matches held in Rotterdam, Group A features three European teams and one Asian team: Denmark, Romania, Japan, and Croatia. Check out the group schedule (Brasília time):

• November 27 – 2:00 PM – Romania vs Croatia
• November 27 – 4:30 PM – Denmark vs Japan
• November 29 – 2:00 PM – Romania vs Japan
• November 29 – 4:30 PM – Croatia vs Denmark
• December 1 – 2:00 PM – Japan vs Croatia
• December 1 – 4:30 PM – Denmark vs Romania

Denmark

Denmark arrives at the new edition of the World Championship with a change in the coaching staff: Helle Thomsen takes command of the team. Under her leadership, the squad looks strong. In addition to their 1997 title, the Danes have two silver medals (1962 and 1993) and four bronzes (1995, 2011, 2021, and 2023). The last two editions showed that they are on the right path to remain among the world’s best.

Manager

Helle Thomsen

Titles

1 (1997)

Expectation

Denmark enters the competition aiming for its second world title. The team has strong odds to challenge its main rival: neighboring Norway. The Danes have 5.5 odds to win the Women’s Handball World Championship.

Romania

Since the beginning of the Women’s Handball World Championship, Romania has been the only team to participate in every edition. However, the team is still missing more than one title. So far, in addition to their 1962 championship, they have two silver medals (1973 and 2005) and one bronze (2015).

Manager

Ovidiu Mihai Mihăilă

Titles

1 (1962)

Expectation

Even as a traditional presence in tournaments, Romania is far from being considered a contender for a second title. The Romanian team has 85.0 odds to win, placing them in the middle of the ranking — enough to likely reach the Main Round at least.

Japan

Japan enters the World Championship as a possible surprise in Group A. The Far East team has an ace up its sleeve: it hired Danish coach Morten Soubak, who led Brazil to its historic 2013 title.

Manager

Morten Soubak

Best Campaign

7th place (1965)

Expectation

Despite his experience and success, Soubak faces a major challenge with the Japanese team. Their odds are not promising — 200.0 for the title — and they have only a small chance of performing well in the President’s Cup.

Croatia

Croatia’s history in the Handball World Championship dates back to the period when the country was part of Yugoslavia. However, the medals from that era remained with Serbia, leaving the Croatians with a new chapter to write in the sport.

Manager

Ivica Obrvan

Best Campaign

6th place (1997)

Expectation

With 65.0 odds for the title, Croatia is another mid-tier team. Advancing to the Main Round should not be difficult, but once there, the team is expected to end its campaign without reaching the knockout stage.

Group B

Group B is based at the Maaspoort, located in ’s-Hertogenbosch, in the Netherlands. Two European teams, one Asian team, and one African team make up the group. Below is the match schedule for this phase (Brasília time):

• November 27 – 2:00 PM – Switzerland vs Iran
• November 27 – 4:30 PM – Hungary vs Senegal
• November 29 – 2:00 PM – Switzerland vs Senegal
• November 29 – 4:30 PM – Iran vs Hungary
• December 1 – 2:00 PM – Senegal vs Iran
• December 1 – 4:30 PM – Hungary vs Switzerland

Hungary

Hungary has experienced glorious periods in the competition. In addition to the title won in the 1960s, the country has accumulated four silver medals and four bronze medals. However, it has been 20 years since their last podium finish. Since then, their best result has been 8th place. As they prepare to host the Women’s Handball World Championship in 2027, the team wants to perform well and return to its golden days.

Manager

Vladimir Golovin

Titles

1 (1965)

Expectation

Hungary may not be one of the top favorites, but it is a team with everything needed to advance far in the competition. Their odds to win the title are 12.0, indicating at least a likely quarterfinal appearance.

Switzerland

The big question mark in Group B is Switzerland. Making its first-ever appearance in the Women’s Handball World Championship, the team has shown steady growth in recent years, which could culminate in a remarkable debut.

Manager

Knut Ove Joa

Best Campaign

First-time participant

Expectation

As newcomers to the competition, Switzerland is among the major underdogs. The team may try to reach the Main Round, as winning the gold medal is a distant possibility, with odds of 200.0.

Senegal

Senegal enters its third participation in the Women’s Handball World Championship aiming to do better than its previous two 18th-place finishes. This year, the team wants to reach the Main Round for the second consecutive time and will focus heavily on surprising its opponents.

Manager

Yacine Messaoudi

Best Campaign

18th place (2019 and 2023)

Expectation

Senegal will fight to improve on its previous 18th-place results, but the odds point to the team ending up in the President’s Cup. A title is listed at odds of 900.0 — one of the biggest long shots in the competition.

Iran

This is also Iran’s third consecutive participation in a World Championship. The team has shown growth since its last penultimate-place finishes, reaching 4th place in Asian competitions. Now, the team has a new coach for the challenge: Portuguese manager Ana Cristina Teixeira Seabra.

Manager

Ana Cristina Teixeira Seabra

Best Campaign

31st place (2021 and 2023)

Expectation

Iran has no odds indicating any possibility of a title. The team will fight to avoid finishing last — something it has managed in both of its previous World Championship appearances.

Group C

Group C is another group composed of three European teams. The fourth team is South American: Uruguay. This group opens the World Championship. See the match times (Brasília time), played at the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart:

• November 26 – 2:00 PM – Germany vs Iceland
• November 26 – 4:30 PM – Serbia vs Uruguay
• November 28 – 2:00 PM – Uruguay vs Germany
• November 28 – 4:30 PM – Serbia vs Iceland
• November 30 – 11:30 AM – Iceland vs Uruguay
• November 30 – 2:00 PM – Germany vs Serbia

Germany

Hosting for the fourth time, Germany is considered a strong contender to reach at least the quarterfinals. The team’s history is divided between the era when the country was split in two and the post-unification period. As East Germany, they won three of the four titles they currently hold. There is also a bronze medal from East Germany and another from West Germany. As a unified nation, Germany has won one gold and two bronzes.

Manager

Markus Gaugisch

Titles

4 (1971, 1975, 1978 as East Germany; 1993 as unified Germany)

Expectation

Germany has everything needed to reach the knockout stage, with 28.0 odds for the title. Not among the favorites, but still above mid-tier teams.

Serbia

Considered the successor to Yugoslavia, Serbia inherited the medals of the former nation. Thus, the team has, in addition to the 1973 title, three silvers and two bronzes from that era. Serbia also counts a bronze medal earned during the Serbia-and-Montenegro period, plus a silver medal achieved as an independent country.

Manager

José Ignacio Prades

Titles

1 (1973 — as Yugoslavia)

Expectation

Despite its long history built in another era, Serbia is no longer among the favorites. The team has 85.0 odds to win the gold. However, reaching the Main Round should not pose a problem.

Iceland

In its third participation in the World Championship, Iceland arrives following its best qualifying performance in the history of the island’s handball program. Finishing 16th in the European ranking, the Viking nation will seek its best-ever finish among the world’s top teams.

Manager

Arnar Pétursson

Best Campaign

12th place (2011)

Expectation

The players from the land of ice will need to fight to avoid the President’s Cup and advance to the Main Round. However, with 400.0 odds for gold, their battle will likely be at the bottom of the standings.

Uruguay

Uruguay has only five appearances in the World Championship. The small South American nation of just 3.5 million people spent 14 years away from the competition and returns with the same coach who secured their qualification for the 2011 edition in neighboring Brazil.

Manager

Leonardo Puñales

Best Campaign

20th place (2011)

Expectation

Uruguay had not qualified for the World Championship since the 2011 edition held in Brazil. Far from the spotlight reserved for the main contenders, the Uruguayan team will at least try to reach the Main Round.

Group D

Also featuring matches on the opening day of the 2025 World Women’s Handball Championship, Group D plays its games in Trier, at the SWT Arena, in Germany. As in Group C, there are three European teams and one South American team.

• 26 November – 14:00 – Spain vs Paraguay
• 26 November – 16:30 – Montenegro vs Faroe Islands
• 28 November – 14:00 – Paraguay vs Montenegro
• 28 November – 16:30 – Spain vs Faroe Islands
• 30 November – 11:30 – Faroe Islands vs Paraguay
• 30 November – 14:00 – Montenegro vs Spain

Montenegro

Despite having been part of Yugoslavia and later Serbia and Montenegro, the Montenegrin national team did not retain the medals won under those former nations after the separations. On its own, it has already come very close to reaching the final. Now, the fight is for its first medal as an independent country.

Manager

Suzana Lazović

Best Campaign

5th place (2019)

Expectations

The legacy may have stayed with one of its former partners, but Montenegro’s team will fight to earn its rightful place on its own. The odds for gold are 23.0. Reaching the knockout stage should be an easily attainable goal for the squad.

Spain

Spain enters its 10th consecutive participation still chasing the long-awaited title at the World Women’s Handball Championship. This edition brings a roster with 11 players who have never played in the tournament, signaling a clear generational renewal.

Manager

Ambros Martín

Best Campaign

2nd place (2019)

Expectations

Still without a world title, Spain comes in with good odds this time: 20.0 for the championship. While still far from the favorites, the team has enough strength to cause trouble in the knockout rounds.

Faroe Islands

The smallest nation ever to qualify for the Handball World Championship, the Faroe Islands played their first match in the sport only half a century ago. Gradually, the small island nation carved out space for itself, with youth teams succeeding in the past decade and pushing the senior team forward.

Manager

Claus Mogensen

Best Campaign

Debut

Expectations

As debutants, expectations are modest for the Faroe Islands. Winning is far from the plan, with odds at 400.0. Still, the team will have the opportunity to show it belongs at least in the President’s Cup.

Paraguay

This is Paraguay’s 6th appearance at the Women’s Handball World Championship. The South American team seeks, for the first time, to advance beyond the first stage and bring home better results with the help of an experienced squad.

Manager

Marizza Faria

Best Campaign

21st place (2013 and 2017)

Expectations

Paraguay will try everything to advance once again in the tournament, but expectations remain modest, similar to other regional rivals.

Group E

The Netherlands, co-host of the competition, lead Group E alongside Austria, Argentina, and Egypt. Matches will be held at the Ahoy in Rotterdam. Check out the schedule:

• 28 November – 14:00 – Austria vs Egypt
• 28 November – 16:30 – Netherlands vs Argentina
• 30 November – 14:00 – Austria vs Argentina
• 30 November – 16:30 – Egypt vs Netherlands
• 2 December – 14:00 – Argentina vs Egypt
• 2 December – 16:30 – Netherlands vs Austria

Netherlands

Co-host and home of the World Championship final, the Netherlands earned their long-awaited gold medal in 2019, following two consecutive podium finishes—a silver and a bronze. But since then, the team has not even reached the semifinals. Playing at home, the story needs to change.

Manager

Henrik Signell

Titles

1 (2019)

Expectations

As hosts, the Netherlands are not among the clear favorites for the title, but they should have no trouble reaching at least the semifinals. The odds are 10.0 to keep the gold at home.

Austria

Austria participated in the first edition of the tournament, then spent nearly 30 years away before qualifying for 11 consecutive appearances. A five-year absence weighed heavily, with the team returning in 2021 and 2023 but failing to reach the knockout stage. With a renewed squad, the team aims for better results.

Manager

Monique Tijsterman

Best Campaign

3rd place (1999)

Expectations

Austria will need to find the back of the net many times to overcome the long odds of 150.0 for winning the tournament. Advancing to the next stage, however, does not seem too difficult.

Argentina

Argentina reached its first World Championship only in 1999, and since then, missed the tournament just once (in 2001). Results have not been impressive, with 16th place as their best finish, but slowly, las hermanas aim to progress in the sport.

Manager

Mariano Muñoz

Best Campaign

16th place (2019)

Expectations

With odds of 800.0 to win the competition, Argentina is expected to remain in the President’s Cup and fight to avoid finishing among the last positions. Anything beyond that would be a major upset.

Egypt

Another debutant at the World Championship is Egypt. The new generation of players reached the semifinals at the youth level. Now, the young athletes join the senior team and finally arrive at the stage that brings together the world’s 32 best teams.

Manager

Mohamed Ahmed Farghaly

Best Campaign

Debut

Expectations

Making its debut, Egypt is also considered a major underdog. The team enters with few ambitions and minimal chances of winning a medal.

Group F

The Maaspoort, in ’s-Hertogenbosch, is the home of Group F, which features France, the current world champion. Poland, Tunisia, and China complete the group. The matches are listed below:

• 28 November – 14:30 – Poland vs China
• 28 November – 17:00 – France vs Tunisia
• 30 November – 11:30 – Poland vs Tunisia
• 30 November – 14:00 – China vs France
• 2 December – 14:30 – Tunisia vs China
• 2 December – 17:00 – France vs Poland

France

Three finals in four editions. These are France’s results in the most recent World Championships. During this period, the team also reached two Olympic finals, winning one and losing the other. And in 2016, they played yet another Olympic gold-medal match. In 2025, the idea is to show that the French truly understand handball.

Manager

Sébastien Gardillou

Titles

3 (2003, 2017, and 2023)

Expectation

As the reigning champion, France arrives strong in pursuit of a fourth title. The team is one of the favorites for the gold at the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship, with odds of 6.5.

Poland

Poland is still missing a medal. The team has reached the semifinals twice but fell short at the decisive moment. For coach Arne Senstad, patience is the key to achieving a better result.

Manager

Arne Senstad

Best Campaign

4th place (2013 and 2015)

Expectation

Reaching the Main Round should not be difficult for Poland, but things get tougher afterward. The odds for the team’s first-ever title are 150.0.

Tunisia

Tunisia enters the 27th edition of the Women’s Handball World Championship with an opportunity in hand. The team has never reached the Main Round of the tournament, but they could surprise within the group — after all, there is one opponent they can realistically beat: China.

Manager

Pablo Morel

Best Campaign

12th place (1975)

Expectation

Tunisia is among the tournament’s major underdogs, with odds of 900.0 for the gold. The real fight is to avoid finishing last.

China

China’s 19th consecutive appearance in the tournament shows that the team has qualified consistently since entering the World Championship for the first time in 1986. However, recent performances have been poor, including a last-place finish in 2021. The task of reversing that lies with French coach Yerime Sylla.

Manager

Yerime Sylla

Best Campaign

8th place (1990)

Expectation

Like Tunisia, its group partner, China is expected to struggle, with odds of 900.0 for the title. One of the two, however, will reach at least the Main Round.

Group G

Two champions and one contender form Group G: Brazil and Czechia, plus Sweden, which is still seeking its breakthrough. Cuba completes the group. Match times (Brasília time) are below:

• 27 November – 14:00 – Brazil vs Cuba
• 27 November – 16:30 – Sweden vs Czechia
• 29 November – 14:00 – Brazil vs Czechia
• 27 November – 16:30 – Cuba vs Sweden
• 1 December – 14:00 – Czechia vs Cuba
• 1 December – 16:30 – Sweden vs Brazil

Sweden

Call them Sweden — or Consistency. Over the past 15 years, the Swedish team, the clear favorite in this group, has consistently finished inside the top 10 at the World Championships. But they still lack something their Norwegian neighbors have: medals.

Manager

Tomas Axnér

Best Campaign

4th place (2017 and 2023)

Expectation

Despite being a Nordic country in a sport extremely popular in the region, Sweden has never won a medal at the Women’s Handball World Championship. This year, the team will fight hard to reach the podium, with odds of 11.0 for the title, posing a real challenge to the favorites.

Brazil

With Sweden as the favorite, Brazil will fight for second place in the group. However, the team has delivered disappointing performances since claiming the historic title in 2013 — finishing 10th, 18th, 19th, 6th, and 9th in the subsequent editions. With a few remaining players from that victorious squad, Brazil needs to do better.

Manager

Cristiano Rocha

Titles

1 (2013)

Expectation

Despite the triumph over a decade ago, Brazil has not returned to the podium. The team swims, swims, but dies on the beach—falling short every time. This year, the odds for another title are 55.0, far from the desired gold.

Czechia

Czechia, formerly the Czech Republic, won the first-ever Women’s Handball World Championship as Czechoslovakia in 1957. As a nation separated from Slovakia, its best finish has been 8th place. Here, they will compete with Brazil for second place in the group.

Managers

Tomáš Hlavatý and Daniel Čurda

Titles

1 (1957 – as Czechoslovakia)

Expectation

It has been 70 years since the team’s only medal, and it is likely to remain that way. The odds place Czechia far from the gold, at 100.0.

Cuba

Back after missing two editions, Cuba is experiencing a special moment. The island nation is the champion of North America and the Caribbean and arrives at the World Championship to showcase its growth. Perhaps they can reach the long-awaited Main Round for the first time.

Manager

Jorge Coll Arencibia

Best Campaign

21st place (1999 and 2019)

Expectation

In its return to the competition, Cuba will try to improve on the 21st place achieved on two occasions. But much more than that should not be expected.

Group H

The final group features one of the biggest champions in world handball: Norway. South Korea, which has a gold medal of its own, joins them, as do Angola and Kazakhstan. Group H’s matches take place at the SWT Arena in Trier.

• 27 November – 14:00 – Angola vs Kazakhstan
• 27 November – 16:30 – Norway vs South Korea
• 29 November – 14:00 – Angola vs South Korea
• 27 November – 16:30 – Kazakhstan vs Norway
• 1 December – 14:00 – South Korea vs Kazakhstan
• 1 December – 16:30 – Norway vs Angola

Norway

The reigning Olympic champion, Norway returns in pursuit of more gold. The team has won three of the last six editions of the World Championship. To perhaps add another title, the Norwegians arrive with new faces joining established stars of Nordic handball.

Manager

Ole Gjekstad

Titles

4 (1999, 2011, 2015, and 2021)

Expectation

Norway is the top favorite to win the Women’s Handball World Championship. The odds of 1.75 place the Norwegians comfortably at the top of the list of contenders to climb the podium and hear their anthem.

Angola

Present in every edition since 1990, Angola returned to the Main Round in the most recent tournament after eight years away. The Angolan team needs only a strong start to leave rivals behind and return to the group of top finishers.

Manager

Carlos Viver

Best Campaign

7th place (2007)

Expectation

A frequent participant in the tournament, Angola has yet to reach the podium. The road is difficult — especially to the top — with odds of 150.0 for such an achievement.

South Korea

Since 1978, South Korea has been present at every World Championship. But since winning gold in 1995, the team’s best result is a bronze medal four editions later. The team usually reaches the Main Round but fails to advance once there. That is what needs to change.

Manager

Kyechung Lee

Titles

1 (1995)

Expectation

South Korea suffered a 22nd-place finish in the last World Championship. Returning to medal contention seems distant, with odds of 200.0. The team will need to avoid dropping into the President’s Cup.

Kazakhstan

In its 8th appearance as an independent nation, Kazakhstan has not managed to repeat the good results achieved when it was part of the Soviet Union. The team will try to trouble its group rivals but enters clearly as an underdog.

Manager

Aliaksandr Sytsko

Best Campaign

18th place (2007)

Expectation

Kazakhstan is the biggest outsider in Group H, far from any knockout stage or even the Main Round. The team is expected to head to the President’s Cup.

Favorites of the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship

You have already learned about the teams. Now it’s time to see which national squads are the top contenders to take the trophy home. Check out Blaze’s odds—and remember that the numbers change as the competition progresses and due to off-court factors. So it’s worth keeping an eye on the matches and the news surrounding the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship.

Who will be the champion?

Four-time champion Norway is the big favorite to take the gold and become a five-time winner. The Nordic team has odds of 1.75 to win this season’s Women’s Handball World Championship. The podium should be completed by teams capable of threatening Norway’s new title, such as Denmark, with odds of 5.5, and France, with odds of 6.5.

Where to watch the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship

Brazilian fans can follow every moment of the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship through the YouTube channel CazeTV.

Bet on the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship at Blaze!

How about bringing the fun outside the court with sports betting? Remember, however, that betting is a form of entertainment, never an investment. Use only funds intended for leisure, without harming your personal or financial life—always practicing Responsible Gaming at every moment.

Place your bets now on the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship here at Blaze and celebrate every goal!

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship

When does the 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship start?

The 2025 Women’s Handball World Championship begins on Wednesday, November 26. The grand final is scheduled for Sunday, December 14.

Who is the current champion of the Women’s Handball World Championship?

France is the current champion of the Women’s Handball World Championship. It was the team’s third title, and they have already played in seven finals.

Who is the most successful team in the Women’s Handball World Championship?

Russia is the most successful team in the history of the Women’s Handball World Championship, with seven gold medals. However, the team falls behind Norway when it comes to total podium finishes. The Russians have 11, while the Norwegians have 12 — four golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. Germany is also a four-time champion, having won every final it appeared in. France has three titles, and eight nations have won the competition once: Hungary, Serbia, Denmark, Romania, Czechia, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Brazil.