Sweden Women's Handball Team Suffers Heavy Defeat to Norway, Quarterfinal Hopes Dim

The Swedish women's handball team experienced a significant setback at the 2025 World Championship after losing 39-26 to Norway. This loss in the main round match has severely compromised Sweden's chances of progressing to the quarterfinals.

The defeat, marking a large 13-goal margin, was described by player Linn Blohm as "embarrassingly bad," with her remarking, "A national team should not be this bad." Veteran player Jamina Roberts also expressed deep disappointment, saying, "One leaves with a feeling of shame," reflecting on the team's overall struggles this season. At halftime, Sweden was trailing 24-11, and despite Norway rotating their squad, the scoreline remained decisive.

Sweden's campaign has been affected by several challenges, including injuries and illness within the squad. Anna Lagerquist left the tournament due to a foot injury and was replaced by Linn Hansson. Additionally, Elin Hansson was sidelined by stomach illness for the Norway game but is expected to return for the upcoming match against South Korea. Nina Koppang fell ill with a stomach virus during the Norway match, further weakening the team.

With two matches remaining—against South Korea on December 5 and then Angola—Sweden must win both games to stand any chance of qualifying for the knockout stage. Even then, their progression depends on Brazil's results, as Sweden needs Brazil to fail to gain points. Previously, Sweden secured wins against the Czech Republic (31-23) and Cuba (46-17) but suffered a loss to Brazil (27-31).

Coach Tomas Axnér remains hopeful about the team's resilience, focusing on rallying the players available and aiming for a strong performance in the remaining fixtures. The championship is being held across Germany and the Netherlands.

The Swedish squad faces an uphill battle but retains a slim chance of making history by reaching the World Championship quarterfinals for the first time.