The draw for the preliminary round groups of the IHF Men’s World Championship 2027 is just around the corner. On 10 June, the teams will be allocated to the eight groups at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. Following the third round of European qualification and the North American continental championship, 30 of the 32 participating teams have now been confirmed.

From unusual venues and historic qualifications to last-second drama, the qualification campaign delivered everything handball fans could hope for. Here is part two of the review:

Handball thriller at Lake Balaton

Serbia versus Hungary stands for passion, intensity and determination – both on and off the court. It also means world-class line players on both sides: Bánhidi and Rosta for Hungary, Pechmalbec and Marsenić for Serbia. And, of course, the duel between two outstanding playmakers: Dodić versus Fazekas. Fans could expect high-level handball and plenty of emotion.

And that is exactly what the 5,200 spectators in Niš witnessed. The match remained balanced until Dragan Pechmalbec made it 10:9 in the 16th minute. Serbia then pulled away, leading 18:12 at half-time. Hungary responded well and cut the deficit to 22:20 after 40 minutes, but Serbia, driven by the home crowd, stepped up again. Only a strong finish by Hungary kept the deficit manageable for the second leg. Serbia eventually celebrated a 31:29 victory.

But Serbia still had to survive the cauldron of the One Veszprém Arena in the return match. Once again, the opening stages were evenly contested. This time, Hungary managed to edge ahead, though never by more than three goals – enough to secure qualification.

Yet Serbia fought back once more. Line player Marsenić scored for 31:30 in the 57th minute. After missed opportunities at both ends, Hungary had one final chance to force extra time with 30 seconds remaining. Fazekas attempted to find Bánhidi on the line – but Pechmalbec intercepted the pass. The standout player across both matches – scoring 15 goals from 15 attempts – secured Serbia’s place at the IHF Men’s World Championship 2027.

Ironically, match-winner Pechmalbec is under contract with Hungarian club One Veszprém.

Aggregate result: Serbia – Hungary 61:60

Click here for the first part of the review.

Kuzmanovski fires North Macedonia to the World Championship

Slovakia had only qualified twice before for a Men’s World Championship – in 2009 and 2011. After narrowly overcoming Ukraine in the previous qualification round, the team hoped to pull off another upset against North Macedonia.

The first leg was meant to lay the foundation for that dream. The opening phase was balanced, with neither side able to break away. After 21 minutes, North Macedonia led just 11:10. Then the visitors took control, building a 18:13 advantage by half-time.

Kiril Lazarov’s side never relinquished the lead in the second half. Filip Kuzmanovski’s tenth goal ultimately sealed a convincing 31:24 away win. Slovakia’s hopes of qualification were already fading after the first match.

Any remaining optimism disappeared within the first fifteen minutes of the second leg. Backed by 6,000 fans, North Macedonia raced into a 10:4 lead. By half-time, the score stood at 18:11, and qualification was all but secured.

The hosts continued scoring freely after the break, eventually cruising to a dominant 38:23 victory. Once again, Filip Kuzmanovski starred with eleven goals, helping North Macedonia record the biggest aggregate victory of the third qualification round.

For North Macedonia, it will be the nation’s tenth appearance at the world’s biggest international handball tournament.

Aggregate result: Slovakia – North Macedonia 47:69

Who will make history? Bosnia and Herzegovina or the Faroe Islands?

Even before the first whistle, it was clear that the winner of Bosnia and Herzegovina versus the Faroe Islands would make history. Bosnia had only qualified once before – in 2015 – while the Faroese had never reached a World Championship.

The visitors from the North Atlantic made the slightly better start in Tuzla. In a highly balanced first half, the Faroese repeatedly led by one or two goals and held a 12:10 advantage at half-time.

The momentum shifted in the second half. Bosnia and Herzegovina started to take the lead repeatedly, and when Vilhelm Poulsen equalised at 20:20 in the 52nd minute, a draw seemed inevitable. But in a frantic finish, the Faroese kept their nerve and secured a remarkable 24:22 away victory.

The decisive factor: goalkeeper Pauli Jacobsen, who recorded 17 saves and an outstanding 44% save rate.

The decisive showdown followed in front of 3,000 spectators in Tórshavn. The opening half mirrored the first leg, with Bosnia and Herzegovina consistently leading by one or two goals. At half-time, the visitors were ahead 17:15. After 90 of the 120 minutes played, the aggregate score was level.

The final thirty minutes would decide qualification.

Driven by their home fans, the Faroese found another level. They turned the game around and eventually won 33:28, securing the nation’s first-ever qualification for a Handball World Championship.

From a strong collective performance, one player stood out in particular: Hákun West av Teigum. The right winger scored 22 goals across both matches, making him the top scorer of the qualification round.

Aggregate result: Bosnia and Herzegovina – Faroe Islands 50:57

Tickets and all tournament information are available on the official website handball2027.com. Tickets can now also be purchased via Eventim and all official advance booking offices.

European qualification in Argentina

Some handball fans may have been surprised to discover the venue for Israel versus Spain. “La Casa del Handball” is not located in Spain, but in Buenos Aires. The reason: both federations agreed to play the matches at a neutral venue due to the situation in the Middle East.

In the first leg, Israel initially impressed and led 8:7 after 14 minutes. Spain then found its rhythm, stepped up the pace and regained control. The lead grew steadily from 14:10 to 18:12 by half-time.

In the second half, Jordi Ribera’s team comfortably managed the game and secured a never-threatened 32:27 victory.

Spain controlled the return match from the beginning. Through scores of 7:5 and 12:8, the 2013 world champions established a 16:13 half-time lead. After the break, Spain continued to extend its advantage and eventually won comfortably 36:29.

The long trip to Argentina proved worthwhile, as Spain secured qualification for the 30th IHF Men’s World Championship in Germany.

Aggregate result: Israel – Spain 56:68

NACHC: Four teams – one ticket to Germany

Basketball, ice hockey and football dominate the North American sports landscape. Handball plays only a minor role. Nevertheless, the continent also stages its own championship: the North American and Caribbean Men’s Handball Championship (NACHC), effectively the equivalent of the EHF EURO.

The scale, however, is very different. Only four nations participated: Greenland, Canada, Mexico and the United States. Yet the tournament carried huge significance, as the winner would qualify for the World Championship.

The preliminary round was played in a round-robin format. After the group stage, the USA topped the standings thanks to victories over Mexico (32:27), Greenland (34:24) and Canada (34:17).

Greenland finished second after dominant wins against Canada (40:20) and Mexico (35:25). Canada secured third place with a narrow 23:19 victory over Mexico.

Following the preliminary round, the bottom two teams met again in the third-place match, where Mexico avenged its earlier defeat with a 23:17 win over Canada.

The World Championship ticket was then decided in the final between Greenland and the United States. Led by captain and top scorer Ian Hüter (six goals), the Americans secured a convincing 32:18 victory.

For the hosts of the 2028 Olympic Games, it will be a third consecutive appearance at the Men’s World Championship. Especially captain Ian Hüter will look forward to the tournament in Germany. He was born in Neuss and grew up close to the LANXESS Arena.

Two wildcard spots still open

Eleven additional tickets to the IHF Men’s World Championship 2027 have now been awarded. 30 of the 32 participating teams are confirmed.

The IHF will soon distribute two wildcard invitations to complete the line-up.

Qualified teams so far:

Europe

• Denmark  
• Germany  
• Croatia  
• Iceland  
• Portugal  
• Sweden  
• France  
• Montenegro  
• Norway  
• Serbia  
• Spain  
• Italy  
• Faroe Islands  
• North Macedonia  
• Greece  

• Poland  

   

Asia

• Bahrain  
• Qatar  
• Kuwait  

• Japan  

   

Africa

• Egypt  
• Tunisia  
• Cape Verde  
• Algeria  

• Angola  

   

South, Central & North America

• Brazil  
• Argentina  
• Chile  
• Uruguay  
• USA

Images: Aleksandar Djorovic/ NTB