The reigning champions are Finland, who won their fifth title at the 2024 tournament.[4] The most successful country is Sweden, with 10 wins, the last in 2022, and participation in every final so far. The other medalists are the Czech Republic with two silvers from 2022 and 2004, Switzerland with one from 1998 and Norway with one bronze from 1996.[5]
There are 16 teams participating in the tournament. The host country is automatically guaranteed a spot, while the remaining 15 spots are determined through regional qualifiers. These qualifiers, typically comprising several European tournaments and one each for the Americas and Asia-Oceania, are held about a year before the championship.[6]
The teams are then drawn into four groups (A–D), each consisting of four teams. Groups A and B are drawn from the top-ranked teams according to the IFF rankings, while Groups C and D are drawn from the remaining teams. Within a group, teams play against each other. The top two teams from Groups A and B advance directly to the quarter-finals. The other two teams from Groups A and B and the top two teams from Groups C and D compete in a playoff preliminary round.[6][7]
Next, the playoffs are played by elimination. The eliminated teams, including the teams that did not qualify for the playoffs, participate in additional placement matches.
The entire tournament spans nine days, from one weekend to another.[7]
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