The 2025 World Men's Handball Championship qualification decided who qualified for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship in Croatia, Denmark and Norway. Qualifying occurred between February 2023 and May 2024. The championship will feature 32 teams for the third time.
Qualified teams
Country Qualified as Qualified on Previous appearances1 Co-host 15 (1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 25 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 17 (1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1993, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Wildcard 7 (1964, 1970, 1974, 1993, 1995, 2001, 2023) Top three at 2024 South and Central American Championship 16 (1958, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Semifinalist at 2024 Asian Championship 15 (1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2005, 2011, 2017, 2019, 2021) 9 (2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Top three at 2024 South and Central American Championship 14 (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 7 (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Semifinalist at 2024 Asian Championship 8 (1982, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) 5 (2011, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Semifinalist at 2024 European Championship 26 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 24 (1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1978, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Top five at 2024 African Championship 2 (2021, 2023) 16 (1974, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2021, 2023) 17 (1964, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 16 (1967, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Semifinalist at 2024 European Championship 27 (1938, 1954, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 19902, 1993, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Top five at 2024 African Championship 0 (debut) European playoffs 22 (1958, 1961, 1964, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 7 (1938, 1958, 1993, 2011, 2015, 2019, 2021) 2 (1961, 2023) 10 (1995, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023) 6 (1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2015) 5 (1997, 2001, 2003, 2021, 2023) 22 (1958, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 22 (1958, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 17 (1958, 1967, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021, 2023) 1 (1997) 8 (1999, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) Winner of the 2024 Nor.Ca. Championship 7 (1982, 1986, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2009) Wildcard 11 (1954, 1961, 1964, 1967, 1970, 1982, 1986, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2021) 1 Bold indicates champion for that year. Italic indicates host country for that year. 2 From both German teams only East Germany was qualified in 1990
Slot allocation The slot allocation is as follows: AHF (Asia): 4 slots CAHB (Africa): 5 slots EHF (Europe): 17 slots (including the three co-hosts) NACHC (North America and the Caribbean): 1 slot OCHF (Oceania): 0 slots SCAHC (South and Central America): 3 slots Wildcards: 2 slots
Detailed distribution of places (following current IHF rules) Vacancies Details Comments Organisers 3 Reigning world champion 1 Performance places for the continental confederations 12 Based on teams ranked 1–12 in the preceding world championshipAfrica 1 As Egypt ranked 7th in previous World ChampionshipAsia 0Europe 11North America and the Caribbean 0South and Central America 0Oceania 0 Compulsory places for the continental confederations 15 17 compulsory places reduced by 2 due to having three organisersAfrica 4Asia 4Europe 2 4 compulsory places reduced by 2 due to having three organisers from EuropeNorth America and the Caribbean 1South and Central America 3Oceania 0 or 1 Place allocated to Oceania or an additional free wild card Wild card 1 or 2 Total 32
Summary
Summary of qualification process The World Championship hosts will be directly qualified, along with the reigning world champions. In regards to the 12 performance spots, and based on the results of the 2023 Men's World Championship, Europe receives 11 more spots, while Africa takes 1.
Detailed summary of 2025 World Men's Handball Championship qualification processConfederationDirect slotsTeams startedTeams eliminatedTeams qualifiedPercentage of entered teams with spots in finalsQualifying start dateQualifying end dateAHF 4 16 12 4 25% 11 January 2024 25 January 2024CAHB 5 16 11 5 31.25% 17 January 2024 27 January 2024EHF 14+3+1 34+3 19 14+3+1 41.1% 1 November 2023 12 May 2024NACHC 1+1 6 5 1+1 16.67% 6 May 2024 12 May 2024OCHF 0 or 1 1 1 0 6.25% 11 January 2024 25 January 2024SCAHC 3 10 7 3 30% 21 February 2023 20 January 2024Total27+3+276+34927+3+2 21 February 2023 12 May 2024
Summary of qualified teams Competition Dates Host Vacancies Qualified Host nations 28 February 2020 Cairo 3 2023 World Championship 11–29 January 2023 1 None 2024 European Men's Handball Championship 10–28 January 2024 3 2024 Asian Men's Handball Championship 11–25 January 2024 4 2024 South and Central American Men's Handball Championship 16–20 January 2024 3 2024 African Men's Handball Championship 17–27 January 2024 5 2024 Nor.Ca. Men's Handball Championship 6–12 May 2024 1 European qualification 1 November 2023 – 12 May 2024 Various 11 Oceania 0 Wildcards 18 October 2018 Doha2
World Championship
World champion directly qualified for 2025 edition. However, 2025 co-hosts Denmark won the 2023 World Championship, so no one took the spot.
RankTeam 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
Asia
Sixteen teams competed in the Asian Championship, held at the Sheikh Khalifa Sports City Hall in Isa Town, Bahrain, from 11 to 25 January 2024. The top 4 reached the world championship. Since New Zealand, failed to make the top 5 of the championship, Oceania's spot was made into a second wildcard. Bahrain, Kuwait, Japan and Qatar reached the world championship. Rank Team 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Qualified for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship Oceanian representative
Africa
Sixteen teams competed in the African Championship, held in Cairo, Egypt, from 17 to 27 January 2024. The top five from the championship qualified. Those teams ended up being Algeria, Cape Verde, Egypt, Guinea and Tunisia.https://www.aljazairalyoum.dz/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%AA%D8%A3%D9%87%D9%84-%D9%84%D9%85%D9%88%D9%86%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84-%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF-%D8%A8%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%A7/#:~:text=%D8%B6%D9%85%D9%86%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A8%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%88%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%8A%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%A6%D8%B1%D9%8A%20%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF%20%D8%AA%D8%A3%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%B0%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A8%D9%87,%D9%86%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%20%D9%83%D8%A3%D8%B3%20%D8%A5%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82%D9%8A%D8%A7%20%D9%84%D9%83%D8%B1%D8%A9%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%AF%20%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%A9%20%D8%AD%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%20%D8%A8%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1. RankTeam 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Team qualified for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship
Europe
The three highest ranked non-qualified teams secure a ticket to the world championship. Since Denmark (who finished second) already qualified as a co-host, fourth placed Germany took the place. Rank Team 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Team qualified for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship Team qualified for the 2025 World Men's Handball Championship as co-host
European qualification
From November 2023 to May 2024, the EHF organised a separate qualification for 11 places.
Bracket The draw took place on 27 January 2024 in Cologne.
North America and Caribbean
The championship will be held from 6 to 12 May 2024 in Mexico where the winner secures the regional ticket. Had the United States won, second place would've taken the ticket. Cuba were victorious and qualified for the World Championship.
Final
South and Central America
Six teams competed in the South and Central American Championship, held at the La Casa del Handball Argentino in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from 16 to 20 January 2024. The top three from the championship qualified. Brazil, Argentina and Chile would finish in top three and advance to the world championship. Brazil were the first country from any region to qualify on 18 January 2024.
Wildcards After no Oceanian team achieved a top 5 finish in the Asian Championship, two wildcards were given out by the IHF. United States was given the first wildcard on 18 October 2018, in order to prepare them for the 2028 Summer Olympics which they are hosting. Regarding the second wildcard, 12 nations reportedly applied, with 2 of the applicants unknown.
https://www.cdm.me/sport/rukomet/rscg-aplicirao-za-vajld-kartu-od-velikog-znacaja-je-da-lavovi-nastave-kontinuitet-ucesca-na-velikim-takmicenjima/
https://rss.org.rs/#vest:14401
On 23 May 2024, Switzerland was given the second wildcard by the IHF due to multiple reasons: their sporting merit, their commercial reach, their project and the IHF's TV partner asked the Swiss to be picked. Prior to their selection, Switzerland's coach, Andy Schmid, stated that after their narrow penalty shootout loss to Slovenia, The Swiss' performance merited a wildcard.https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/diese-nationen-wollen-die-wildcard-fuer-die-handball-wm-1024641
Notes
References
External links Official website IHF website