Further key decisions have been made for the 2027 IHF Men’s Handball World Championship in Germany: the International Handball Federation (IHF) has confirmed the seeded teams for the eight preliminary round groups. In addition to hosts Germany (Group A), who will play their preliminary matches in Munich, and reigning world champions Denmark (Group G, Kiel), six other nations have been determined as group seeds.

Alongside Germany, Croatia will compete in Munich in Group C. Sweden (Group E) will also play their preliminary round matches in Kiel. Fans in Magdeburg can look forward to the fourth- and fifth-placed teams from the most recent EHF EURO: Iceland (Group H) and Portugal (Group F). France (Group D) and Switzerland (Group B) will come to Stuttgart—provided they qualify for the World Championship on sporting merit. If they fail to qualify, their respective qualification opponents, the Czech Republic (France’s opponent) and Italy (Switzerland’s opponent), will take their place.

“The seeding of the teams gives fans further clarity to plan their personal attendance at the World Championship and secure tickets,” says Mark Schober, chairman of the executive board of the German Handball Federation. “Given the level of interest so far, I can only advise not to wait too long. At the latest, with the draw on 10 June at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, demand will increase significantly once again.”

The seeding requests submitted to the IHF were based on demand considerations. Croatia in Munich, Sweden in Kiel, and Iceland in Magdeburg all benefit from strong fan communities around the respective venues. At the 2019 World Championship, Croatia already filled the arena in Munich, while Iceland also started its 2007 World Championship in Magdeburg — and the proximity to Kiel makes travel easier for Swedish fans. France and Switzerland, if they qualify, were also seeded for Stuttgart as neighboring countries, taking this factor into account. Portuguese or Icelandic fans, for example, may also be seen in Hanover if their teams qualify for the main round. Germany is home to many Portuguese residents, who will find good travel connections to centrally located Hanover. Denmark had already been assigned to Kiel at the start of ticket sales.

The seeding also has implications for the German national team. In a potential main round in Cologne, Germany could face Switzerland. Spain, Egypt, or Norway are among the other national teams in the draw pots that could be drawn into Germany’s preliminary or main round group in June. Germany can meet Denmark or France at the earliest in the semi-finals.

“At all venues, teams will be present that are among the favorites and have high ambitions for the World Championship,” says Ingo Meckes, head of sport of the German Handball Federation. “This guarantees top-class handball as well as challenging tasks. There will be no easy path through this tournament for our national team either, as dangerous opponents await in the remaining draw pots. And sometimes things turn out differently than expected. At the recent European Championship, our team proved that it is more than ready for such challenges.”

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.

As part of the 2027 World Championship, the German Handball Federation is taking consistent action against the unauthorized resale of tickets. In cooperation with the law firm Lentze Stopper, comprehensive measures have been initiated to protect fans and ensure fair sales conditions. The DHB recommends purchasing tickets exclusively through official sales channels and warns against offers on secondary marketplaces. Further information can be found here: Basisinformationen – Ticket-Schwarzmarkt-Enforcement WM27 | dhb.de

Group A: GER – Munich (hosts – already confirmed by the IHF)
Group B: SUI (subject to qualification) – Stuttgart
Group C: CRO – Munich
Group D: FRA (subject to qualification) – Stuttgart
Group E: SWE – Kiel
Group F: POR – Magdeburg
Group G: DEN – Kiel (already confirmed by the IHF)
Group H: ISL – Magdeburg

Draw pots:
Pot 1: Denmark, Germany, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal, Sweden, Egypt, Argentina
Pot 2: France/Czech Republic, Finland or Montenegro/Slovenia, Norway/Turkey or Romania, Serbia or Lithuania/Hungary, Spain/Georgia or Israel, Switzerland/Italy, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Kosovo/Faroe Islands, Ukraine or Slovakia/North Macedonia
Pot 3: Netherlands/Greece or Belgium, Austria/Poland or Latvia, Brazil, Bahrain, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Chile, North & Central America participant
Pot 4: Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Algeria, Angola, Uruguay, Wild Card 1, Wild Card 2