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2025 IHF World Men's Handball Championship

2025 IHF World Men's Handball Championship will be the 29th edition of this prestigious tournament organized by the International Handball Federation (IHF). It will take place from January 14 to February 2, 2025, and for the first time in history, the championship will be hosted by three countries – Croatia, Denmark, and Norway.

Host Countries and Venues

This tournament will be held in five cities across three countries:

• Norway: Unity Arena in Bærum (capacity: 15,000 spectators) will host the final.
• Denmark: Jyske Bank Boxen in Herning (capacity: 12,500 spectators) will host the opening match.
• Croatia: Arena Zagreb (15,200 spectators), Varaždin Arena (5,200 spectators), and Žatika Sport Centre in Poreč (3,700 spectators).

Initially, more cities were considered, but for financial and organizational reasons, the number of venues was reduced.

Qualification and Participants

The tournament will feature 32 teams from five continental federations. The host countries (Croatia, Denmark, and Norway) and the reigning champions (Denmark) automatically secured their participation. Other teams went through qualification rounds, with Europe earning the most spots due to its strong performance. Among the participants are traditional favorites like France, Sweden, Spain, and Germany, as well as newcomers like Guinea.

Denmark, defending champions from 2019, 2021, and 2023, is once again the top favorite. Norway, playing at home, is also expected to perform well. Noteworthy is the return of Italy, Cuba, and Kuwait to the global stage after a long absence.

Tournament Format

The tournament is divided into the following phases:

1. Preliminary Groups: 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four. The top three teams from each group advance to the main round.
2. Main Groups: 24 teams are divided into four groups of six. The top two teams from each group advance to the quarterfinals.
3. Knockout Stage: Quarterfinals, semifinals, third-place match, and the final.