Sweden's Handball World Championship Hopes End as Quarterfinals Slip Away

Sweden's journey in the 2025 Women's Handball World Championship has come to a disappointing conclusion as the team failed to advance to the quarterfinals despite securing a win against South Korea. The Swedish team’s earlier performances, including a loss to Brazil in the group stage and a heavy defeat to Norway in the main round, severely hindered their chances of progressing.

Sweden needed Angola to defeat Brazil to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive. However, Brazil secured a 32-26 victory over Angola, officially eliminating Sweden from the tournament. This outcome allowed Brazil and Norway to move forward to the quarterfinals, while Sweden’s campaign effectively ended.

In their match against South Korea, Sweden led decisively 20-11 at halftime and ultimately won 32-27. Goalkeeper Johanna Bundsen made several critical saves, countering South Korea’s comeback attempts during the second half. Key player Jamina Roberts stressed the importance of maintaining a positive attitude despite the disappointment, stating, "The worst we could have done was to go into this match with our heads down."

Kristin Thorleifsdottir expressed her frustration candidly, calling the situation "terrible." Sweden has two remaining matches against South Korea and Angola, but these fixtures will not influence their advancement in the tournament.

The Swedish team’s early setbacks, particularly the defeat against Brazil and Norway, ultimately sealed their fate. According to Expressen, the loss to Brazil and Norway derailed Sweden’s campaign early, leaving them dependent on results elsewhere which did not go their way. Their win over South Korea was not enough to overcome these earlier challenges, marking a disappointing end to their 2025 World Championship run.