Croatia has long been one of the leading nations in international handball. In the early 2020s, however, the team became less prominent at the business end of major tournaments. Since 2025, Croatia has been back among the world’s best: silver at the 2025 World Championship was followed by bronze at the 2026 European Championship.

At the 2025 World Championship, Croatia defeated France 31:28 in the semi-final. Their title bid only came to an end in the final against Denmark. One year later, the team once again reached the semi-finals of a major tournament. At the 2026 European Championship, Croatia lost 28:31 to Germany before beating Iceland 34:33 in the bronze medal match. With two medals from their last two major tournaments, Croatia will travel to the 2027 World Championship as one of the favourites.

While tickets for Croatia’s preliminary round matches in Munich are not available at the moment, fans can still secure tickets for potential Croatian main round matches at the LANXESS arena in Cologne via handball2027.com or through the official ticket shop.

Croatia will compete in Preliminary Round Group C against Chile, Türkiye and Spain, with all three matches taking place at SAP Garden in Munich. They open their campaign against Chile on 14 January, followed by Türkiye two days later. On 18 January, a heavyweight clash against Spain will bring the group stage to a close.

Croatia will enter their opening match against Chile as favourites. The South Americans finished 24th out of 32 teams at the last World Championship, giving Croatia a good opportunity to start the tournament with a win. Türkiye await on the second matchday. They received a wildcard for the World Championship and are set to make their first-ever appearance at the tournament. Croatia’s international experience also makes them favourites in this encounter, although Türkiye should not be underestimated as they look to make their mark on the big stage.

The preliminary round concludes with a blockbuster clash against Spain. By then, the two teams could already be battling for top spot in the group and valuable points to take into the main round. Their last meeting at a major tournament could hardly have been closer: Spain claimed a 32:31 victory in the preliminary round of the 2024 Olympic Games. The match in Munich therefore also gives Croatia the chance to avenge that defeat.

Croatia’s Squad: Two Young Goalkeepers and Experienced Leaders

One of Croatia’s particular strengths lies between the posts. Dominik Kuzmanović and Matej Mandić were both born in 2002 and have been teammates at SC Magdeburg since this season. Kuzmanović joined Magdeburg from VfL Gummersbach ahead of the current campaign. Despite their young age, both goalkeepers have already made their mark on the international stage and have the ability to make the difference for Croatia.

Captain Ivan Martinović is a key player in attack. The left-hander operates at right back and spent many years in the German Handball Bundesliga, most recently with Rhein-Neckar Löwen. He now plays for One Veszprém HC in Hungary. His powerful attacking play and leadership make him an important figure in the Croatian team.

On the right wing, Croatia can rely on the experience of Mario Šoštarić. The 33-year-old has played for Pick Szeged in Hungary since 2016. His performances at the last two major tournaments earned him individual recognition: he was named the best right wing in the All-Star Team at both the 2025 World Championship and the 2026 European Championship.

Dagur Sigurðsson has been in charge of the team since 2024. The Icelandic former international brings considerable coaching experience. From 2014 to 2017, he coached the German national team before later taking charge of Japan. Under his leadership, Croatia has returned to the top of world handball. Silver at the 2025 World Championship and bronze at the 2026 European Championship underline the team’s impressive progress in a short period of time.

Exciting Main Round Awaiting in Cologne

Should Croatia qualify for the main round, they will face the teams progressing from Group D at the LANXESS arena in Cologne from 21 to 25 January. Group D features France, Argentina, Brazil and Kuwait. Which three teams will actually progress will only be decided during the preliminary round.

A potential rematch with France would be particularly exciting. Croatia defeated the French 31:28 in the semi-final of the 2025 World Championship to book their place in the final. France are once again among the strongest teams in the tournament. For Croatia, another meeting would provide an opportunity to repeat their 2025 success, although the experienced French side would once again provide a major test.

Croatia also know Argentina from the last World Championship. The two teams met in the preliminary round, with Croatia recording a convincing 33:18 victory. Argentina subsequently progressed to the main round as the third-placed team in their group but managed only one victory there, against Cape Verde. However, their recent performances at the South American Games in Santa Fe suggest they should be considered a stronger opponent than the 2025 result might indicate. Argentina won the tournament without losing a match, meaning a potential rematch would be far from a formality for Croatia.

Brazil made the stronger impression of the two South American teams at the 2025 World Championship. They reached the quarter-finals and eventually finished seventh. Their run was only ended by eventual world champions Denmark, who won 33:21. Although Brazil finished only third at the South American Games in Santa Fe, the team has already shown that it can compete with strong opposition on the World Championship stage.

Kuwait enter Group D as the underdogs. At the 2026 Asian Championship, the team reached the semi-finals before claiming bronze and securing qualification for the World Championship. At the 2025 World Championship, Kuwait finished 27th following the President’s Cup. Progressing to the main round is likely to be a difficult task.

Croatia already face a high-profile opponent in Spain during the preliminary round, with further exciting encounters potentially awaiting them in the main round. After winning medals at each of their last two major tournaments, Croatia will be aiming to challenge for the top positions once again at the 2027 World Championship. Fans who want to see Croatia live can find information about matches and tickets at handball2027.com.