Slowly but surely, the lineup for the Women’s Floorball World Championship, set to take place at the end of the year in Brno and Ostrava, is coming together. This past week saw intense qualification battles, and as of today, twelve teams have secured their spots for the Czech-hosted World Championship.
The qualification groups A and B, held in Valmiera, Latvia, did not bring any major surprises. The finalists of the last two World Championships, Finland and Sweden, advanced through the tournament undefeated. Joining them in Brno and Ostrava from second-place finishes are Norway and Latvia, with Germany and Estonia also securing their spots once again.
In Lignano Sabbiadoro, Italy, the competition was far more dramatic. As expected, Switzerland and Slovakia, both upcoming participants in the World Games, triumphed in their respective groups. However, the biggest surprise came from the Netherlands, who managed to defeat not only Hungary but also Singapore’s quarterfinalists from Denmark.
The Oranje are returning to a major tournament for the first time since 2015 and are set to be one of the event’s most intriguing teams. Even in their final match, they gave the more experienced Polish team a tough fight. The last available spot in the qualification rounds was ultimately claimed by Denmark, who narrowly edged out the host team, Italy.
To this group of eleven qualified teams, three Asian squads and the winner of the USA vs. Canada playoff series will be added. The final distribution of teams into their respective groups will be revealed to the floorball community on Thursday, March 20, at 14:30, when the group stage draw takes place in Ostrava.
Qualified Teams:
EUR 1: Sweden, Finland, Norway, Latvia, Estonia, Germany.
EUR 2: Switzerland, Slovakia, Netherlands, Poland, Denmark.
Two upcoming qualifications:
AMER in Texas – 8th – 10th March 2025
AOFC in Singapore 18th – 22nd March 2025