In January 2027, the entire handball world will be watching closely as Germany hosts the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship. From 13 to 31 January, the world's top handball nations will compete for the title of world champions. But who are the favorites? Who are the star players? And which coaches will be leading the top nations? Here is an overview. Today’s focus: Sweden.
World-class talent at centre back
Jim Gottfridsson has scored 550 goals in 186 matches for the Swedish national team, along with countless assists. The playmaker of Hungarian top club OTP Bank-PICK Szeged is known for his outstanding vision. What makes this even more remarkable: Gottfridsson is colour-blind. Nevertheless, the 33-year-old has been the key figure in Sweden’s play for years. He led the team to the EHF EURO finals in 2018 and 2022 and was named MVP at both tournaments. However, his role in the team has recently shifted slightly.
That is because his successor at centre back has already taken over. Since the EHF EURO 2026 at the latest, Felix Claar of SC Magdeburg has become the driving force in Sweden’s attack. He made his debut for the national team in 2017 at just 20 years of age. The 2027 World Championship will mark his eighth major tournament in the blue and yellow jersey. Claar represents the next generation of Swedish playmakers, impressing with his dynamism.
And the next wave of talent is already waiting in the wings. Axel Månsson, aged 20, and Nikola Roganovic, one year younger, are regularly part of the Swedish squad. Fans can look forward to potentially seeing both young talents represent Sweden at the 2027 World Championship.
Two former playmakers now on the sidelines
The older generation of Swedish playmakers has now moved to the sidelines. Head coach Michael Apelgren is no stranger to the national team. From 2022 to 2024, he served as assistant coach under Glenn Solberg before taking over the head coaching role in October 2024. Alongside him is Patrick Fahlgren, a long-time Bundesliga player. Both were playmakers during their playing careers – just like Gottfridsson and Claar.
Apelgren began his playing career in 2003 with Hammarby IF in Sweden. His journey then took him to BM Granollers (Spain), IK Sävehof (Sweden), BM Puerto Sagunto (Spain) and Elverum Handball (Norway). In Norway, he initially worked as a player-coach before focusing entirely on coaching from the 2016/17 season onwards.
His coaching career includes:
- 2016–2020: Elverum Handball
- 2020–2024: IK Sävehof
- 2022–2024: Sweden (assistant coach)
- Since 2024: OTP Bank-PICK Szeged
- Since 2024: Sweden
For the past year and a half, Apelgren has held a dual role, coaching both the Swedish national team and OTP Bank-PICK Szeged, where he works closely with Jim Gottfridsson. Together, they aim to win titles at both club level and at the IHF Men’s World Championship 2027.
The “Bengan Boys” shaped Sweden’s legacy
When it comes to winning titles, Sweden’s history speaks for itself. The country is one of the most successful nations in international handball, with 23 medals at major tournaments – including 12 at World Championships:
- Bronze: 1938, 1961, 1993, 1995
- Silver: 1964, 1997, 2001, 2021
Gold: 1954, 1958, 1990, 1999
Half of these successes came under legendary coach Bengt Johansson, who led Sweden from 1988 to 2004. His team, featuring stars such as Magnus Wislander, Staffan Olsson, Tomas Svensson and Ljubomir Vranjes, became known as the “Bengan Boys” and left a lasting mark on the sport.
Sweden also owes its first European Championship title to this generation, winning gold in 1994, followed by further triumphs in 1998, 2000 and 2002. After a long wait, Sweden returned to the top in 2022, adding another gold medal. The team also claimed silver in 2018 and bronze at the EHF EURO 2024, defeating hosts Germany in the LANXESS Arena in Cologne.
The only major title missing from Sweden’s record is Olympic gold. The “Bengan Boys” reached the finals in 1992, 1996 and 2000 but finished as runners-up each time. Sweden returned to the Olympic final in 2012, narrowly losing 21:22 to France in London.
Eyes set on Cologne
Following a disappointing sixth-place finish at the EHF EURO 2026 on home soil, Sweden is determined to bounce back. That result was still enough to secure qualification for the IHF Men’s World Championship 2027.
At the tournament in Germany, Sweden aims to reach the final weekend once again, just as they did at the EHF EURO 2024. From 29 to 31 January 2027, the semi-finals, third-place match and final will take place at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne.
Sweden has been drawn as the top-seeded team in Group E and will play its preliminary round matches at the Merkur Ostseehalle in Kiel. If they advance to the main round, the team will travel to Hanover, where they would face teams from Group F, led by Portugal.
Before that, however, all eyes will be on the draw on 10 June 2026 in Munich, where Sweden’s preliminary round opponents will be determined. Further information about the draw is available here.