Partille World Cup 2025 Kicks Off

The group stage of Partille World Cup 2025 is underway. A tournament week filled with matches, teams, competition, respect, and friendship across borders.

The group stage of Partille World Cup 2025 is underway. A tournament week filled with matches, teams, competition, respect, and friendship across borders. On Tuesday morning, the first matches of this year’s Partille World Cup were played. From now until Saturday, 23,000 participants in 1,272 teams from 35 countries will play 4,288 matches.
– This year, teams from all continents are participating. We truly live up to the name Partille World Cup. There will be competition, joy, and the opportunity to meet teams from other countries for all participants—both on and off the field. Taking part is truly an experience of a lifetime, says Fredrik Andersson, Secretary General of Partille World Cup.
– This week is an antidote to filter bubbles. Handball becomes a tool for young people to meet the world. This applies to participants, but also to leaders, accompanying parents, siblings, referees, our volunteers—everyone who is part of what makes this tournament so unique and important.

Elite Groups, C Playoffs, and Referee School
A new feature this year is elite groups in the age categories 16 to 18 years. For the younger age categories, C playoffs are being introduced to allow more teams to advance from the group stage.
– This is to make the tournament more balanced, with more even matches. It benefits everyone and gives more teams the chance to feel like they’ve made it far, says Fredrik Andersson. Another new initiative is a referee school for young referees, where around 50 referees are followed by experienced instructors who coach, support, and guide them throughout the tournament.

Moving Toward Sustainability Certification
Partille World Cup is also taking further steps toward being certified as a sustainable event. Last year, the concept "Celebrate" was introduced, focusing on the sustainability challenges the tournament can influence. This year, a trial certification is being conducted, a step toward achieving full certification in 2026.