After six European sides - hosts Germany and the Netherlands, the reigning world champions, France, plus Denmark, Hungary and Norway – have been confirmed for the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship, 22 other European teams learnt their fate on Sunday, 15 December, in Vienna, where the draw for the Qualification Europe Phase 2 took place.

The 11 pairings of the play-offs were drawn in Sunday's Women's EHF EURO 2024 closing press conference in Vienna. The draw was conducted by Martin Hausleitner (EHF Secretary General), Bozidar Djurkovic (Chairman EHF Competitions Commission) and Frantisek Taborsky, member of the IHF Executive Committee.

11 teams were seeded – the ones which had the best finishing position at the Women’s EHF EURO 2024 this December – with the last seven ones, plus four coming from the Qualification Europe Phase 1, being unseeded.

The draw provided some interesting clashes, with the headline being the crunch clash between Slovenia and Serbia, two sides which have been staples in the last editions of the IHF Women’s World Championship. Another crunch clash will see Spain, the silver medallists at the 2019 IHF Women’s World Championship, collide with Croatia, another tough path towards the competition.

Sweden will be heavily favoured against Kosovo, while Iceland are also favourites to return to the IHF Women’s World Championship, facing Israel. The only team to qualify for every edition of the world handball flagship competition, Romania, are due to extend their streak when they face Italy.

Seeded in the draw, the Faroe Islands will have the chance to make history and secure a berth for the IHF Women’s World Championship for the maiden time, when they battle against Lithuania next April.

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

Switzerland vs Slovakia
Italy vs Romania
Poland vs North Macedonia
Sweden vs Kosovo
Slovenia vs Serbia
Portugal vs Montenegro
Faroe Islands vs Lithuania
Czechia vs Ukraine
Croatia vs Spain
Austria vs Türkiye
Iceland vs Israel

The first leg is scheduled for 9/10 April 2025, followed by the return leg on 12/13 April. 

The 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship 2025 will take place between 26 November and 14 December 2025 in five venues around Germany and the Netherlands.

17 teams are already qualified for the 2025 IHF Women's World Championship, with hosts Germany and the Netherlands, plus the reigning world champions, France, being joined by Denmark, Hungary and Norway after the EHF EURO 2024.

After the 2024 AHF Asian Women’s Handball Championship, the qualified teams are the Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea, with Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay joining after finishing on the podium at the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship.

The four African sides qualified after the 2024 CAHB African Women’s Handball Championship are Angola, Egypt, Senegal and Tunisia.