Group C:
Germany favored, while Uruguay, Serbia, and Iceland are eyeing upsets
Germany is set to make history once again as it prepares to host the 2025 IHF Women’s World Championship , marking the fourth time the nation welcomes handball’s premier global competition, following previous editions in 1965, 1997, and 2017.
This time around, the event takes on a fresh dynamic as Germany joins forces with the Netherlands, sharing co-hosting duties and collective ambitions for a spectacular tournament. Past hosting experiences have delivered a wide range of results on German soil, with the team winning bronze twice, but finishing 12th in 2017.
That last experience is still fresh in the minds of some players, such as Xenia Smits and Emily Vogel, who are mainstays in the team and will hope for a better finish this time around. Germany is considered one of the leading candidates for a quarter-finals berth, and they will certainly be favored in Group C, which will take place in the Porsche-Arena in Stuttgart.
On paper, the group looks quite balanced, featuring three European sides and one team from South America, Uruguay. Germany , however, certainly has the upper hand against Serbia and Iceland , judging from the rosters, home advantage, and head-to-head records.
Familiar Fixture: Germany – Iceland
Over the past 15 years, Germany and Iceland have faced each other four times in official matches. Their first World Championship meeting in 2011 ended in a shock defeat for Germany, as Iceland claimed a 26–20 victory on their debut, earning a place in the Round of 16 at Germany’s expense.
Since then, Germany has bounced back in subsequent encounters, winning twice in the EHF EURO 2016 Qualifiers (22–17 and 33–21). In their most recent meeting at the EHF EURO 2024, Germany secured a dominant 30–19 victory in the preliminary round, with Nina Engel and Emily Vogel combining for 12 of the team’s 30 goals, marking the second 11-goal winning margin in succession.
Serbia as a Dangerous Outsider
Germany and Serbia have met seven times over the past 17 years. Germany holds the advantage with five wins, one draw, and one loss. Serbia’s sole victory came in the main round of the 2019 World Championship, 29–28, while the draw was recorded at the 2017 World Championship in Leipzig.
Serbia has seen several notable comebacks recently, with Andrea Lekić, Katarina Tomašević, Dragana Cvijić, and Katarina Krpež Šlezak returning to the national team. All were part of the squad that won silver at the 2013 World Championship. Following the aggregate win over Slovenia, Lekić and Tomašević retired, while Cvijić and Krpež Šlezak remain in the extended squad for Stuttgart.
Germany won the other five matches between the sides, including two in the 2009 World Championship Qualification Phase (29–24 and 22–19), and victories at the EHF EURO 2008 (32–31) and EHF EURO 2016 (26–19). In their most recent meeting during the 2023 World Championship main round, Germany convincingly beat Serbia 31–21, securing a spot in the quarter-finals and ultimately finishing sixth. This marked a solid improvement compared to their eighth place in Japan 2019 and seventh at the Denmark/Norway/Sweden tournament in 2023.
Uruguay Returns After 14 Years
Uruguay is the outsider in Group C. They finished third at the 2024 South and Central American Women’s Handball Championship, defeating Paraguay, Chile, and El Salvador, but being clearly outplayed by Brazil (20–34) and Argentina (18–32).
Uruguay returns to the World Championship for the first time in 14 years, having finished 20th in 2011, which was their best result in history. In total, Uruguay has played 27 World Championship matches, winning only one: 19–16 against Argentina in that edition.
The South American team has never faced Germany, Serbia, or Iceland. Their best result against an European side at the World Championship was a four-goal loss to Italy, 22–26, in 2001, a respectable performance for a debuting team.