26 November marked the start of the countdown for a new edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship, the world handball flagship competition, which brings together the best 32 teams in the world.

As the one-year to go countdown for the 2025 IHF Women's World Championship has started, the preparations are now getting in full fledge throughout Germany and the Netherlands, as the two hosts are getting ready to create a magnific handball mega event.

This will be the third edition of the IHF Women’s World Championship to be hosted by two countries and the first since 1999, when Norway and Denmark joined hands. 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 preliminary round, which contains eight groups of four teams each, will be played in four venues – two each in Germany, the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart and the SWT Arena in Trier, and the Netherlands, the Maasport in s’Hertogenbosch and the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam.

Groups A and E will be hosted in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, with co-hosts the Netherlands playing in Group E, having the prerogative to choose their group. Groups B and F will also take place in the Netherlands, in s’Hertogenbosch.

Germany, the other co-hosts, have selected Group G, which, alongside Group C, will take place in the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart. The other two groups, Group D and Group H, will be played in the SWT Arena in Trier.

The competition will start on 26 November 2025, in Stuttgart and Trier, with the other venues in the Netherlands seeing the first matches played on 27 November 2025. The preliminary round is scheduled to end on 2 December 2025.

The final day will take place in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam on 14 December 2025.

“Catch the Dream” is the motto of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, which aims to further strengthen women’s handball, also referring to exactly what ever player aims: the dream of playing handball and fighting on the court for silverware. “With every block, every goal, and every cheer, we put our hands up—for fair play, fierce competition, and the love of the game. Dream big, aim high: hands up for more!,” says the official site of the competition.

Celebrating one year to go before the start of the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, spectators can purchase tickets for all the stages of the competition and for all the venues, starting from 26 November. Ticket options include day tickets and group packages, with prices for the German venues starting at €19. Tickets can be purchased via the official website of the competition, www.worldhandball25.com, and Eventim.

Three teams are already qualified for the competition, with the two co-hosts, Germany and the Netherlands, already sure of their appearance at the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship. Reigning world champions France are also already qualified, and more teams will be added to the line-up in December, when continental competitions in Asia, Africa, Europe, and South and Central America will take place.

More sides will earn their berths for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship in November and December, with the continental competitions being played in Africa, Asia, Europe and South and Central America.