IHF World Men's Handball Championship

IHF World Men's Handball Championship

Current season, competition or edition: 2015 World Men's Handball Championship
Sport	Handball
Founded	1938
No. of teams	24
Continent	International (IHF)
Most recent champion(s)	France (5th title)
Most titles	France (5 titles)

The World Men's Handball Championship has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1938. The competition has been dominated by European countries.

Medal count

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	France	5	1	3	9
2	Sweden	4	3	4	11
3	Romania	4	0	2	6
4	Russia	3	3	0	6
5	Germany	3	2	1	6
6	Spain	2	0	1	3
7	Croatia	1	3	1	5
8	Czechoslovakia	1	2	2	5
9	Yugoslavia	1	1	4	6
10	Denmark	0	3	1	4
11	East Germany	0	2	2	4
12	Poland	0	1	3	4
13	Austria	0	1	0	1
	Hungary	0	1	0	1
	Qatar	0	1	0	1

Tournaments

The first World Championship took place in Germany in 1938, involving four teams from Europe. Throughout their history, the World Championships has been dominated by European teams, with no medals being won by non-European countries until 2015, by Qatar. Over the years, the organization of the World Championships has changed. Initially, there were group games in both the preliminary and main rounds, but more recently a knockout system has been applied after the preliminary round.

Year	Host country		Gold medal game				Bronze medal game
			Gold	Score	Silver		Bronze	Score	Fourth place
1938	Germany		Germany	Round-robin	Austria		Sweden	Round-robin	Denmark
1954	Sweden		Sweden	17–14	West Germany		Czechoslovakia	24–11	Switzerland
1958	East Germany		Sweden	22–12	Czechoslovakia		Germany1	16–13	Denmark
1961	West Germany		Romania	9–8 (2ET)	Czechoslovakia		Sweden	17–14	Germany1
1964	Czechoslovakia		Romania	25–22	Sweden		Czechoslovakia	22–15	West Germany
1967	Sweden		Czechoslovakia	14–11	Denmark		Romania	21–19 (ET)	Soviet Union
1970	France		Romania	13–12 (2ET)	East Germany		Yugoslavia	29–12	Denmark
1974	East Germany		Romania	14–12	East Germany		Yugoslavia	18–16	Poland
1978	Denmark		West Germany	20–19	Soviet Union		East Germany	19–15	Denmark
1982	West Germany		Soviet Union	30–27 (ET)	Yugoslavia		Poland	23–22	Denmark
1986	Switzerland		Yugoslavia	24–22	Hungary		East Germany	24–23	Sweden
1990	Czechoslovakia		Sweden	27–23	Soviet Union		Romania	27–21	Yugoslavia
1993	Sweden		Russia	28–19	France		Sweden	26–19	Switzerland
1995	Iceland		France	23–19	Croatia		Sweden	26–20	Germany
1997	Japan		Russia	23–21	Sweden		France	28–27	Hungary
1999	Egypt		Sweden	25–24	Russia		Yugoslavia	27–24	Spain
2001	France		France	28–25 (ET)	Sweden		Yugoslavia	27–17	Egypt
2003	Portugal		Croatia	34–31	Germany		France	27–22	Spain
2005	Tunisia		Spain	40–34	Croatia		France	26–25	Tunisia
2007	Germany		Germany	29–24	Poland		Denmark	34–27	France
2009	Croatia		France	24–19	Croatia		Poland	31–23	Denmark
2011	Sweden		France	37–35 (ET)	Denmark		Spain	24–23	Sweden
2013	Spain		Spain	35–19	Denmark		Croatia	31–26	Slovenia
2015	Qatar		France	25–22	Qatar		Poland	29–28 (ET)	Spain
2017	France
2019	Denmark / Germany
2021	Egypt
2023	Poland / Sweden

• ¹: Germany sent a united team composed of players from the GDR and the FRG.

List of hosts

List of hosts by number of championships hosted.

Times hosted	Host	Year(s)
7	Germany	1938, 1958, 1961, 1974, 1982, 2007, (2019)
5	Sweden	1954, 1967, 1993, 2011, (2023)
3	France	1970, 2001, (2017)
2	Czechoslovakia	1964, 1990
2	Denmark	1978, (2019)
2	Egypt	1999, (2021)
1	Croatia	2009
1	Iceland	1995
1	Japan	1997
1	Poland	(2023)
1	Portugal	2003
1	Qatar	2015
1	Spain	2013
1	Switzerland	1986
1	Tunisia	2005

Participation details

Team	1938 (4)	1954 (6)	1958 (16)	1961 (12)	1964 (16)	1967 (16)	1970 (16)	1974 (16)	1978 (16)	1982 (16)	1986 (16)	1990 (16)	1993 (16)	1995 (24)	1997 (24)	1999 (24)	2001 (24)	2003 (24)	2005 (24)	2007 (24)	2009 (24)	2011 (24)	2013 (24)	2015 (24)	2017 (24)	Total
Algeria	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15th	-	16th	16th	16th	-	16th	17th	15th	13th	18th	17th	-	19th	15th	17th	24th	-	14
Angola	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	20th	21st	-	-	-	-	Q	3
Argentina	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22nd	21st	15th	17th	18th	16th	18th	12th	18th	12th	-	10
Australia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	24th	-	21st	24th	24th	24th	24th	24th	-	-	7
Austria	2nd	-	11th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	14th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18th	-	13th	-	5
Bahrain	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23rd	-	-	Q	2
Belarus	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15th	18th	-	3
Bosnia and Herzegovina	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-		-	20th	-	1
Brazil	-	-	15th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	24th	24th	16th	19th	22nd	19th	19th	21st	21st	13th	16th	-	12
Bulgaria	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11th	14th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
Canada	-	-	-	-	-	16th	-	-	15th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23rd	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
Chile	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22nd	23rd	23rd	-	3
China	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	20th	20th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2
Croatia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	2nd	13th	10th	9th	1st	2nd	5th	2nd	5th	3rd	6th	Q	12
Cuba	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	13th	15th	14th	-	13th	14th	8th	-	-	-	-	20th	-	-	-	-	7
Czechoslovakia	-	3rd	2nd	2nd	3rd	1st	7th	6th	11th	10th	13th	7th	7th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	12
Czech Republic	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8th	11th	-	18th	-	10th	12th	-	-	-	17th	-	6
Denmark	4th	5th	4th	5th	7th	2nd	4th	8th	4th	4th	8th	-	9th	19th	-	9th	-	9th	13th	3rd	4th	2nd	2nd	5th	-	21
East Germany	-	-	-	-	10th	9th	2nd	2nd	3rd	6th	3rd	8th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
Egypt	-	-	-	-	14th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	12th	6th	6th	7th	4th	15th	14th	17th	14th	14th	16th	14th	Q	14
Team	1938	1954	1958	1961	1964	1967	1970	1974	1978	1982	1986	1990	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015	2017	Total
Finland	-	-	14th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
France	-	6th	9th	8th	13th	10th	12th	-	16th	-	-	9th	2nd	1st	3rd	6th	1st	3rd	3rd	4th	1st	1st	6th	1st	Q	21
Germany	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	4th	6th	5th	9th	1st	7th	7th	-	6th	4th	-	5th	8th	2nd	9th	1st	5th	11th	5th	7th	Q	23
Greece	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6th	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Greenland	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	20th	24th	-	22nd	-	-	-	-	-	3
Hungary	-	-	7th	-	8th	8th	8th	7th	9th	9th	2nd	6th	11th	17th	4th	11th	-	6th	-	9th	6th	7th	8th	-	-	18
Iceland	-	-	10th	6th	9th	-	11th	14th	13th	-	6th	10th	8th	14th	5th	-	11th	7th	15th	8th	-	6th	12th	11th	-	18
Iran	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21st	-	1
Italy	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Japan	-	-	-	12th	16th	11th	10th	12th	12th	14th	-	15th	-	23rd	15th	-	-	-	16th	-	-	16th	-	-	Q	13
Kuwait	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15th	-	-	-	20th	-	19th	23rd	20th	22nd	18th	22nd	-	-	-	-	8
Lithuania	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Luxembourg	-	-	16th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Macedonia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18th	-	-	-	-	11th	-	14th	9th	-	4
Montenegro	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22nd	-	-	1
Morocco	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	22nd	23rd	17th	22nd	23rd	-	20th	-	-	-	-	-	6
Netherlands	-	-	-	11th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Nigeria	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23rd	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1
Norway	-	-	6th	7th	11th	13th	13th	-	-	-	-	-	13th	-	12th	13th	14th	-	7th	13th	9th	9th	-	-	-	13
Team	1938	1954	1958	1961	1964	1967	1970	1974	1978	1982	1986	1990	1993	1995	1997	1999	2001	2003	2005	2007	2009	2011	2013	2015	2017	Total
Poland	-	-	5th	-	-	12th	14th	4th	6th	3rd	14th	11th	-	-	-	-	-	10th	-	2nd	3rd	8th	9th	3rd	-	14
Portugal	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	19th	-	16th	12th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	3
Qatar	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	16th	21st	23rd	-	-	20th	2nd	Q	6
Romania	-	-	13th	1st	1st	3rd	1st	1st	7th	5th	9th	3rd	10th	10th	-	-	-	-	-	-	15th	19th	-	-	-	14
Russia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1st	5th	1st	2nd	6th	5th	8th	6th	16th	-	7th	19th	-	11
Saudi Arabia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	21st	22nd	21st	19th	-	-	23rd	-	19th	22nd	Q	8
Serbia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	9th	3rd	3rd	8th	5th	-	8th	10th	10th	-	-	3
Slovakia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10th	17th	-	-	-	2
Slovenia	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	18th	-	-	17th	11th	12th	10th	-	-	4th	8th	-	7
South Korea	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	12th	12th	15th	12th	8th	14th	12th	-	-	15th	12th	13th	21st	-	-	11
Soviet Union	-	-	-	-	5th	4th	9th	5th	2nd	1st	10th	2nd	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	8
Spain	-	-	12th	-	-	-	-	13th	10th	8th	5th	5th	5th	11th	7th	4th	5th	4th	1st	7th	13th	3rd	1st	4th	Q	19
Sweden	3rd	1st	1st	3rd	2nd	5th	6th	10th	8th	11th	4th	1st	3rd	3rd	2nd	1st	2nd	13th	11th	-	7th	4th	-	10th	-	22
Switzerland	-	4th	-	10th	12th	14th	15th	-	-	12th	11th	13th	4th	7th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10
Tunisia	-	-	-	-	-	15th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	15th	16th	12th	10th	14th	4th	11th	17th	20th	11th	15th	Q	13
Ukraine	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7th	-	-	14th	-	-	-	-	-	2
United States	-	-	-	-	15th	-	16th	16th	-	-	-	-	16th	21st	-	-	24th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	6
Yugoslavia	-	-	8th	9th	6th	7th	3rd	3rd	5th	2nd	1st	4th	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10

See also

• IHF World Women's Handball Championship

External links

• All time statistics with link to all results and all medal winners