2023 IHF World Men's Handball Championship: Preview and stars to watch with Paris 2024 berth up for grabs
Poland and Sweden co-host the 28th men's World Championship with Nikola Karabatic and Olympic champions France among those hoping to stop Mikkel Hansen and Denmark securing a hat-trick of world titles.
Handball
The 2023 IHF World Men's Handball Championship sees 32 of the best teams from around the world battling it out to be world champions in Poland and Sweden.
The tournament starts on 11 January with Olympic champions France taking on co-hosts Poland in Katowice. The final takes place in Stockholm on 29 January.
Denmark are the holders with Mikkel Hansen and co bidding for a hat-trick of titles having lost out to France in the final at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
Sweden were beaten finalists two years ago in Egypt with Spain taking third place and France fourth.
There is an extra incentive for the teams as the winners will seal an automatic berth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This will go to the runners-up if France - already qualified as hosts - emerge victorious.
Read on for a preview and the star men to watch at the 2023 World Men's Handball Championship.
When is the 2023 men's World Handball Championship?
The 28th edition of the IHF World Men's Handball Championship runs from 11 to 29 January 2023.
Who qualified for the 2023 Men's World Handball Championship?
Here are the 32 teams contesting the trophy:
Algeria (ALG), Argentina (ARG), Bahrain (BAH), Belgium (BEL), Brazil (BRA), Cape Verde (CPV), Chile (CHI), Croatia (CRO), Denmark (DEN), Egypt (EGY), France (FRA), Germany (GER), Hungary (HUN), Iceland (ISL), Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI), Montenegro (MNE), Morocco (MAR), Netherlands (NED), North Macedonia (MKD), Norway (NOR), Poland (POL), Portugal (POR), Qatar (QAT), Republic of Korea (KOR), Saudi Arabia (SAR), Serbia (SRB), Slovenia (SLO), Spain (ESP), Sweden (SWE), Tunisia (TUN), United States (USA), Uruguay (URU).
Men's handball World Championship 2023 groups
Here's how the teams were drawn:
Group A; Spain, Montenegro, Chile, IR Iran.
Group B: France, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia.
Group C: Sweden, Brazil, Cape Verde, Uruguay.
Group D: Iceland, Portugal, Hungary, Republic of Korea
Group E: Germany, Qatar, Serbia, Algeria.
Group F: Norway, North Macedonia, Argentina, Netherlands.
Group G: Egypt, Croatia, Morocco, United States.
Group H: Denmark, Belgium, Bahrain, Tunisia.
IHF World Men's Handball Championship 2023 preview
Denmark are bidding for a third consecutive world title but they have revenge in mind after their defeat to France in the Olympic final at Tokyo 2020 in 2021.
The two European powerhouses will, of course, be among the favourites but neither reached the final of last January's European Championship where Sweden prevailed against Spain.
All 27 previous World Championships have been won by European nations with 2015 hosts Qatar the only team from outside Europe to reach the final.
Outside of the big four, Iceland are a team to watch having defeated France - despite having eight players out due to Covid - in the main round at the last European Championships before just missing out on the semi-finals. Norway and Germany are also very capable of going deep in major tournaments.
After their run to the semi-finals of Tokyo 2020, African champions Egypt will miss Telekom Veszprem right back Yahia Omar through injury but still have a chance to make the podium.
Meanwhile, Tunisia showed they are not to be underestimated as they won the recent Four Nations Cup in Krakow with victories over Poland, Brazil and Republic of Korea.
Bahrain and Qatar carry Asia's hopes with the former reaching the quarter-finals in Tokyo.
While the first three in each group in the preliminary round go through to the main round, points against fellow qualifiers carry forward so it is vital to win matches from the start.
On paper, Group E looks the most challenging with Germany, Qatar and Serbia all likely to progress but possibly dropping points in the process.
The United States make their first World Championship appearance for 22 years having been forced to pull out two years ago due to the Covid pandemic. They will be seeking their first victory after six winless tournaments.
They have been drawn in Group G alongside Morocco whose players can take inspiration from the country's footballers who went all the way to the semi-finals of the FIFA World Cup last month. Their clash will almost certainly decide who takes third spot behind Egypt and Croatia.
Handball stars to watch at 2023 Men's World Championship
Jim Gottfridsson
Centre back Jim Gottfridsson was the driving force behind Sweden's European title triumph last year, claiming the Most Valuable Player award for the second time having won it previously in 2018.
At the last World Championship, the SG Flensburg-Handewitt star was named in the All-Star Team as Sweden took the silver medal.
They will be keen to go one better and home support will help them in the preliminary round and at the business end of the tournament.
The 'Bengan Boys', the famous team of the 1990s named after coach Bengt Johansson, won world titles in 1990 and 1999 but Sweden have not managed to get their hands on the trophy since.
If they are to achieve it this time, much will depend on Gottfridsson's ability to make opportunities for his teammates and score goals himself.
An imposing physical presence at 1.92m and 93kg, the 30-year-old can draw defenders to enable wings Hampus Wanne and Niclas Ekberg - the top goalscorer at London 2012 where Sweden won silver - to work their magic.
Mathias Gidsel
While Mikkel Hansen still attracts most of the headlines in the Danish team, the 35-year-old veteran has some superb players around him including Mathias Gidsel.
Right back Gidsel was MVP at Tokyo 2020 despite Denmark losing out in the final to France. He was also named to the All-Star team at last year's European Championship.
He was catapulted to stardom at the 2021 World Championship, playing a key role in his nation's successful title defence, but admitted struggling to deal with the attention at such a young age.
Gidsel sought professional help and has not looked back since, even after his error in the closing seconds enabled France to open up a decisive two-goal lead in the Olympic final.
Having joined Füchse Berlin from GOG at the start of this season, the 23-year-old has kept up his fine form despite being ruled out for several weeks with a thumb injury on his throwing hand. Gidsel is clearly happy in Berlin having last month signed a contract extension until 2028.
With Hansen, Magnus Landin and an embarassment of riches in the goalkeeping department courtesy of Landin's brother Niklas and Kevin Møller, expect Gidsel and Denmark to be on the premises once more.
Dika Mem
France boast a squad of stars but, with three-time Olympic gold medallist Nikola Karabatic approaching the end of his stellar career, Dika Mem looks to be the one to carry the flame.
The Barça right back has stood out for the Spanish champions in recent years, leading the team to back-to-back European Champions League triumphs last June.
Boasting lightning-quick speed and a ferocious shot, Mem is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in handball.
He and Nedim Remili offer France two powerful options at right back, with club team-mate Ludovic Fabregas and Luka Karabatic both imposing presences in the line.
France won the last of their six world titles on home soil in 2017, and they will fancy their chances of making it seven and adding to their Olympic title from Tokyo 2020.
Luc Steins
Small in stature but certainly not in ability or heart, Luc Steins has become one of the stars of European handball.
The Dutchman was signed by Paris Saint-Germain to try and fill the gap left when Nikola Karabatic ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in October 2020.
He might be over 20cm shorter - and far less experienced - than the handball legend, but Steins soon had his new teammates working in harmony.
Such were his playmaking abilities that when Karabatic returned to full fitness, he often switched to left back to accommodate the younger man.
After a playoff defeat to Portugal, the Netherlands were given a wildcard to their first World Championship appearance since 1961.
Steins and prolific SC Magdeburg right back Kay Smits will be hoping to send the team through to the main round for the first time, just as they did at last year's European Championship.
Karim Hendawy
There will be plenty of fine goalkeepers on show in Poland and Sweden, and among them is Egypt's Karim Hendawy.
In a team full of talents including Yahia Omar, Dinamo Bucuresti left back Ali Zein and Nimes right wing Mo Sanad, Hendawy shone at Tokyo 2020.
His 31.67 per cent save percentage was equal to that of Denmark's Niklas Landin with only Johannes Bitter of Germany - who has since retired from international handball - ahead of him on 33.33 per cent (facing 96 shots compared to Hendawy's 180).
Still based in Egypt at Zamalek SC, the 34-year-old also saved more than 30 per cent of the shots he faced at the last World Championship on home soil.
The Pharaohs have established themselves as genuine medal contenders at the last three major competitions, and they will hope to improve on their best finish of fourth at the 2001 World Championship.