Things have not gone quite as well as might have been expected for handball
powerhouse Spain in recent years. At this year’s European Championship, the team exited the tournament after finishing bottom of their main round group. Admittedly, Spain faced a highly challenging group featuring Denmark, Germany, Norway, France and Portugal. Nevertheless, they managed to claim a victory over a strong French side in the main round. Spain’s journey at the 2025 World Championship also ended after the main round. One of their biggest recent successes came at the 2024 Olympic Games, where they defeated Slovenia in the bronze medal match.
Spain’s preliminary round group has everything to offer – from what appears to be a comfortable start to a true heavyweight clash. Given their opponents, Jordi Ribera’s team should be well placed to progress to the main round. Fans who want to see Spain and some of the world’s best handball players live in Germany can already secure their tickets for the 2027 World Championship here.
Spain will open their campaign on 14 January. Like the German national team, they will play at SAP Garden in Munich, where they face wildcard recipients Türkiye. It will be Türkiye’s first-ever appearance at a World Championship, having never previously managed to qualify for the tournament. The World Championship therefore offers them an excellent opportunity to prove themselves on the international stage. Although a large proportion of the squad plays for EHF European League side Beşiktaş Istanbul, the experienced Spaniards will enter the match as favourites.
Spain’s second match follows on 16 January against Chile. The South American side finished 24th out of 32 teams at the last World Championship, where the two nations also faced each other. Spain came away with a convincing 31:22 victory. At the South and Central American Men’s Handball Championship, held every two years, Chile have finished third in each of their last three appearances, behind Brazil and Argentina.
Spain will conclude the preliminary round with a blockbuster clash against Croatia. After several years away from the very top, the Croatian national team has fought its way back among the world’s best, impressing in particular with its physical and emotional style of play. At the last World Championship in 2025, which was partly hosted by Croatia, the team finished as runners-up. Croatia were once again among the world’s best this year and ended the tournament with a bronze medal. With several top players, including a number who play in the German Handball Bundesliga, the encounter promises plenty of excitement. The match is likely to decide which team progresses to the main round as group winner and takes important points with them.
Spain’s Squad: Players from Europe’s Top Clubs
A look at Spain’s squad quickly reveals a roster packed with players from Champions League clubs. From FC Barcelona and HBC Nantes to SC Magdeburg, some of Europe’s biggest club names are represented.
Particular attention is currently on brothers Daniel and Alex Dujshebaev, who both moved from Kielce to the German Handball Bundesliga for the current season. Daniel joined MT Melsungen, where he is also competing in the Champions League, while his older brother Alex plays for VfL Gummersbach.
Spain also boast considerable quality between the posts. Sergey Hernández, who moved from German champions SC Magdeburg to Champions League winners FC Barcelona, has often proved to be a decisive factor in matches. He is joined by Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas. After his injury and only a short period back in action, he was not part of the squad at the last World Championship. Over recent months, however, he has returned to his former level with THW Kiel. With two very different goalkeeping profiles at their disposal, Spain have plenty of options and can pose a real challenge to their opponents.
Another player to watch is Marcos Fis Ballester. The youngster was one of the revelations for Spain at this year’s European Championship. At just 18 years old, he produced an outstanding tournament and showed why he is a player to keep a close eye on.
Jordi Ribera has been head coach of the Spanish national team since 2016 and has had a major influence on the side during his tenure. Before taking charge of Spain, the 63-year-old coached the national teams of Brazil and Argentina. Whether his time in South America will prove an advantage in the main round remains to be seen, as his team could face at least one of those two nations there.
A Main Round Packed with Blockbuster Potential
In the main round, the qualifying teams from Spain’s Group C will face the teams progressing from Group D, which features Argentina, France, Brazil and Kuwait. The main round matches will be played at the LANXESS arena in Cologne. The German national team will also play there, provided they qualify for the main round.
A potential clash with France would undoubtedly be one of the highlights. The French have a strong chance of winning their preliminary round group, but Spain would still have every reason to believe they can compete with them, as they proved at the most recent European Championship. Spain’s only victory in the main round came against France.
The French squad is packed with experienced players and exceptional talents such as Dika Mem and Ludovic Fabregas, who have won both the Spanish championship and the Champions League with FC Barcelona. Paris Saint-Germain left back Elohim Prandi has also established himself as one of the key players for the French national team. A meeting between the two sides would promise elite-level handball and world-class talent on both sides.
Looking at the two South American teams, Argentina and Brazil, the results of the last World Championship initially put Brazil in the stronger position. Argentina progressed to the main round after finishing third in their group but were clearly beaten by every opponent there apart from Cape Verde. Brazil, meanwhile, finished the World Championship in seventh place. Their campaign ended in the quarter-finals against a dominant Denmark side, who won by a 12-goal margin before going on to claim the world title.
At the recent South American Games in Santa Fe, however, Argentina came out on top, while Brazil finished third. That adds another layer of intrigue to how the two teams could fare in potential encounters with Spain.
Kuwait enter Group D as the clear underdogs. The team reached the semi-finals of this year’s Asian Championship, ultimately claiming bronze and securing qualification for the upcoming World Championship. At the last World Championship, Kuwait finished 27th after competing in the President’s Cup. Progressing to the main round is likely to be a major challenge, but handball has produced plenty of unexpected stories over the years, so the team should not be underestimated.
Spain face the prospect of high-profile encounters featuring numerous world-class players in both the preliminary round and potentially the main round. Fans who do not want to miss out can secure their tickets at handball2027.com and experience the 2027 World Championship live in Germany.