11 European teams have secured their tickets to the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, following the conclusion of the European Qualification Phase 2 on Sunday, 13 April.

After Iceland had made it through since Thursday, with their 70:48 aggregate win against Israel, the next 10 tickets were punched on Saturday and Sunday, with two teams ready to make their debuts at the world handball flagship competition.

The Faroe Islands and Switzerland are the two rookies which will take on the court for the first time at the IHF Women’s World Championship, with clear wins in their doubleheaders against Lithuania and Slovakia respectively.

After a clear 36:26 home win in Torshavn on Wednesday, the Faroe Islands conceded a 29:30 loss in the second leg in Jonava, but still made history, after making their first appearance at the EHF EURO 2024 last December.

Jana Mittún had 13 goals for the Faroe Islands in their 65:56 aggregate win, while Liv Sveinbjørnsdóttir Poulsen had eight goals of her own, with the European side now becoming the first team from the Faroe Islands to play in the world handball flagship competition, after the men’s junior side finished seventh at the 2023 IHF Men’s Junior World Championship and the men’s youth side ending eighth at the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship.

Switzerland also recorded a historic 68:46 aggregate win over Slovakia, making it look easy as they celebrated their maiden appearance at the IHF Women’s World Championship. After a 38:22 home win, Switzerland doubled down with a 30:24 away win against Slovakia, thoroughly outplaying their rivals.

Daphne Gautschi had 15 goals in the two legs, while Tabea Schmid added 13 goals for Switzerland, which are looking more and more as a dark horse in women’s handball, with excellent performance in the younger age categories.

Experience was key for Serbia in the doubleheader against Slovenia, as Bent Dahl’s side eventually clinched a 62:60 aggregate win, in a tie which was decided only in the last 10 minutes of the two matches.

After a 29:29 draw in the first leg in Slovenia, Serbia benefitted from the comebacks of three crucial players in right wing Katarina Krpez-Slezak, centre back Andrea Lekic and line player Dragana Cvijic, who scored 22 of their side’s 33 goals in the 33:31 win, cancelling an outstanding performance from Slovenia left back Tjasa Stanko, who had 22 goals in the two legs.

Serbia extended their participation run at the IHF Women’s World Championship to seven consecutive editions, a run started in 2013, when a Lekic-inspired team secured the silver medal.

Another close tie was the one between Croatia and Spain, with the former side leading by as many as five goals in the first match, only to secure a 27:26 win. In the second leg, which took place in Spain, “Las Guerreras” provided a fantastic defensive display, limiting their opponents to only 17 goals, to take a 23:17 win and a 49:44 aggregate win.

For Spain, this will be their tenth consecutive apperance at the world handball flagship competition.

Elsewhere, Poland eliminated North Macedonia, with a 45:39 aggregate win, Czechia dropped their second match against Ukraine, 26:27, but recorded a 61:46 aggregate win, while Austria dealt Türkiye two losses, for a 66:54 aggregate win.

Romania extended their appearance streak at the IHF Women’s World Championship to 26 editions, the only team to have featured in every edition so far, with a 61:38 aggregate win over Italy, Montenegro also dealt Portugal two losses, 61:45 on aggregate, as Sweden recorded the largest win in the European Qualification Phase, 94:40, against Kosovo.

The top four placed sides at the 2024 AHF Asian Women’s Handball Championship – Japan, the Republic of Korea, Kazakhstan and the Islamic Republic of Iran – are also qualfiied, as well as the top four sides at the 2024 CAHB African Women’s Handball Championship – Angola, Senegal, Tunisia and Egypt. The People’s Republic of China joined the four Asian sides via their wild card, taking the total to five teams.

From the South and Central American Handball Confederation, the top three sides at the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship – Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay – have sealed their spots for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship. One more team representing the continent will be decided in the next weeks.

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. France, the reigning world champions, will play in Group F in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Another side which is due to play in 's-Hertogenbosch are Hungary, the EHF EURO 2024 bronze medallists, seeded in Group B.

Denmark, bronze medallists at the 2021 and 2023 IHF Women’s World Championships, will play in Group A in Rotterdam.

The runners-up of the 2023 IHF Women’s World Championship and current Olympic and European champions, Norway, are due to play in Group H in Trier, with Montenegro also playing in Trier.

The last team that has been seeded is Sweden, with the Scandinavian side set to play in Stuttgart in Group G.

The competition will take place 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.

The composition of the pots for the draw - scheduled for 22 May in Den Bosch, the Netherlands, will be announced in due time.

2025 IHF Women’s World Championship - Qualification Europe Phase 2 

• Iceland vs Israel 70:48 on aggregate (39:27; 31:21)
• Switzerland vs Slovakia 68:46 on aggregate (38:22; 30:24)
• Italy vs Romania 39:61 on aggregate (21:30; 18:31)
• Poland vs North Macedonia 45:39 on aggregate (22:18; 23:21)
• Sweden vs Kosovo 94:40 on aggregate (51:16; 43:24)
• Slovenia vs Serbia 60:62 on aggregate (29:29; 31:33)
• Portugal vs Montenegro 46:61 on aggregate (19:31; 26:30)
• Faroe Islands vs Lithuania 65:56 on aggregate (36:26; 29:30)
• Czechia vs Ukraine 61:46 on aggregate (35:19; 26:27)
• Croatia vs Spain 44:49 on aggregate (27:26; 17:23)
• Austria vs Türkiye 66:54 on aggregate (36:29; 30:25)