World Men’s Handball Champions
See a complete list of World Men’s Handball Champions. Denmark defeated Croatia 32–26 in the 2025 final to win its fourth consecutive IHF Men’s World Championship title, becoming the first nation to win four straight championships.
Fast Facts:
- The 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship will take place in Germany from January 13–31, with the final scheduled for January 31 at LANXESS Arena in Cologne.
- Denmark went undefeated in all nine matches at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, defeating Croatia 32–26 in the final to become the first nation to win four consecutive world titles.
- France holds the record with six IHF Men’s World Championship titles. Denmark, Sweden and Romania are next with four championships each.
- Qatar became the first non-European nation to reach the IHF Men’s World Championship final in 2015, finishing runner-up to France.
- The first Men’s World Championship was held in Germany in 1938 with four teams, and Germany won the inaugural title.
World Men’s Handball Champions
| Year | Winner | Score | Runner-up |
| 2025 | Denmark | 32-26 | Croatia |
| 2023 | Denmark | 34-29 | France |
| 2021 | Denmark | 26-24 | Sweden |
| 2019 | Denmark | 31-22 | Norway |
| 2017 | France | 33-26 | Norway |
| 2015 | France | 25-22 | Qatar |
| 2013 | Spain | 35-19 | Denmark |
| 2011 | France | 37-35 | Denmark |
| 2009 | France | 24-19 | Croatia |
| 2007 | Germany | 29-24 | Poland |
| 2005 | Spain | 40-34 | Croatia |
| 2003 | Croatia | 34-31 | Germany |
| 2001 | France | 28-25 after extra time | Sweden |
| 1999 | Sweden | 25-24 | Russia |
| 1997 | Russia | 23-21 | Sweden |
| 1995 | France | 23-19 | Croatia |
| 1993 | Russia | 28-19 | France |
| 1990 | Sweden | 27-23 | Soviet Union |
| 1986 | Yugoslavia | 24-22 | Hungary |
| 1982 | Soviet Union | 30-27 after extra time | Yugoslavia |
| 1978 | West Germany | 20-19 | Soviet Union |
| 1974 | Romania | 14-12 | East Germany |
| 1970 | Romania | 13-12 after second extra time | East Germany |
| 1967 | Czechoslovakia | 14-11 | Denmark |
| 1964 | Romania | 25-22 | Sweden |
| 1961 | Romania | 9-8 after second extra time | Czechoslovakia |
| 1958 | Sweden | 22-12 | Czechoslovakia |
| 1954 | Sweden | 17-14 | West Germany |
| 1938 | Germany | no final | Austria |
Most IHF Men’s World Championship Titles
| Country | Titles | Championship Years |
| France | 6 | 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015, 2017 |
| Denmark | 4 | 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 |
| Romania | 4 | 1961, 1964, 1970, 1974 |
| Sweden | 4 | 1954, 1958, 1990, 1999 |
| Germany* | 3 | 1938, 1978, 2007 |
| Russia | 2 | 1993, 1997 |
| Spain | 2 | 2005, 2013 |
*Germany’s total includes West Germany’s 1978 championship.
Looking for the women’s competition? See the complete list of World Women’s Handball Champions.
