Croatia becomes the last known participant in the upcoming World Championship. IHF Council awards a Wild card to the European nation, bronze medalist in Euro 2020.
China was given the first Wild card by the international federation. Somewhat other criteria were applied to include Croatia in the mix of 32 nations.
”The IHF Council noted the widespread popularity of handball in Croatia – demonstrated by the record-breaking viewership during the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, in which the Croatian men’s national team earned the silver medal. The Croatian women’s team also displayed a commendable performance during the European Qualification Phase 2, narrowly losing to Spain 44:49 on aggregate, with a 27:26 win on their home court”
”Croatia has also made significant contributions to the global development of handball by hosting several major international events, including younger age-category competitions such as the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, and the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship”, writes IHF on the federation website.
Croatia made it to 18th place in the 2021 championship, adding a little boost with 14th place in the most recent edition. While the qualification attempts were stopped in a double-header versus Spain, Croatia can prepare for a ninth try in the WC in Netherlands and Germany.
Source: CROATIA GRANTED WILD CARD FOR THE 2025 IHF WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP