Article by Daniel Grigore – Published Friday, 05 December 2025 23:28 / Updated Friday, 05 December 2025 23:30
Sweden has been eliminated from the Women's Handball World Championship. Even though they won today, 32-27 against South Korea, the Swedish women no longer have a chance to qualify for the quarterfinals as a result of the result recorded in Angola – Brazil, 26-32.
In the previous 4 editions of the World Championship, Sweden reached the quarter-finals each time. In 2023 and 2017 he even reached the semi-finals!
The presence of the Swedes in the upper stages was seen as a certainty in this edition as well, but the course of Tomas Axner's students was a nightmare.
Defeated by Brazil (27-31) in preliminary groups and of Norway in main groups (26-39)Sweden needed a miracle to have any hopes of qualifying for the quarterfinals: for Brazil to lose to Angola and Norway, for them to beat Angola in the final stage, and finally to overcome the two in a 3-way tie.
A shock materialized at the World Championship: Sweden was the favorite in the final stages, but did not even reach the quarters!
It didn't happen. Brazil cruised past Angola 32-26 and are sure to advance alongside Norway, victorious a little later against the Czech Republic, 37-14. Before the head-to-head match, both teams have 8 points each, while Sweden remained at 4. For Axner's team, the only goal remains the 9-10th place ranking.
This is not simple either, considering that they enter the last stage with a negative goal difference, -4. He will play again with Angola to save something.
Before the competition, Sweden had odds of 10.00 to win the trophy. Thus, along with Hungary and the Netherlands, it was part of a platoon that came immediately after the first 3 favorites, Norway, France and Denmark.
