The 15th Women’s World Floorball Championships are set to commence tomorrow, and there are several key aspects to watch out for.
Will Sweden secure their 10th consecutive title?
Sweden has been a dominant force in women’s floorball, having clinched their ninth title in a row at the 2023 World Championships in Singapore. In total, Sweden has won 11 WFC titles on the women’s side, and their primary objective in the upcoming World Championships in Czechia is to secure yet another gold medal. Can anyone halt their impressive run, or will we see new champions crowned in 2025?
Emelie Wibron
Emelie Wibron has the opportunity to break the record and become the all-time top points scorer in the Women’s World Floorball Championships. Currently, she sits second on the list with 98 points, tied with Swiss player Corin Ruttimann, who has since retired from international competition. Ruttimann holds the top spot due to having scored more goals than Wibron (61 to 57). Wibron needs just one assist or one goal to become the new record holder. Are there any players who could challenge her position? Marie Haggström and Veera Kauppi are the closest contenders, each with 82 points, along with Paulina Hudakova, who has 79 points. While it seems unlikely that these players will surpass Wibron, the rankings on this list are likely to change during the World Championships.
See the Women’s All-Time statistics on the IFF App
Order in the Top 4
In 2023, Sweden emerged victorious, with Finland finishing second, Czechia third, and Switzerland fourth. However, at The World Games in China, the standings shifted. Finland finally claimed gold after a 24-year wait, with Sweden taking silver and Switzerland finishing third. Czechia, unfortunately, left empty-handed and appeared dissatisfied with their performance. One could argue that the shorter playing time (3 x 15 minutes) and smaller rosters contributed to the differences in results among the top four teams in China.
In October, Switzerland hosted the Euro Floorball Tour, which proved to be a delightful experience for both the Swiss team and their home crowd. Switzerland won the event for the first time, with Sweden in second place, Czechia third, and Finland fourth. Finland, however, faced a dismal record, losing all their matches in the EFT and finishing at the bottom of the table. While the Euro Floorball Tour cannot be directly compared to a World Championships event, it will be interesting to see if those results hold any significance once the WFC begins. One thing is certain: the top four teams are eager and determined to claim the top spot.
Netherlands Are Back
The Netherlands are back after a decade-long absence, having last participated in the Women’s World Floorball Championships in 2015 in Tampere, Finland, where they finished in 14th place. This time, they return with a fresh and youthful team that demonstrated their potential during the qualifiers in Italy earlier this year. In the WFC 2025, they will compete in Group C alongside Australia, Japan, and Norway. Viva Hollandia!
Singapore’s Young Squad
Singapore is sending a youthful squad to these World Championships, introducing new players to the global stage. While two of them participated in the U19 World Championships in Lahti during the spring of 2024, the majority are making their debut. How will this team fare against Estonia, Germany, and the USA in Group D?
Can Slovakia Maintain Their Fifth Place?
Slovakia and Poland find themselves in a challenging group, as they are both placed in Group B alongside Sweden and Finland. These teams have previously contended for the fifth place in past World Championships. Recently, Slovakia managed to secure fifth place in Singapore. In this tournament, we will see the fifth place match occurring in the group stage, which will provide us with valuable insights into which team is more likely to contend for that position.
Who Will Be the Tournament MVP?
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award has traditionally been claimed by players from either Finland or Sweden. Veera Kauppi has been named MVP twice, in 2023 and 2021, while Oona Kauppi received the accolade in 2019. Prior to this, only Swedish players had triumphed on the women’s side, with Emelie Wibron being the most recent recipient.