Portugal Named Top Seed for 2027 Handball World Championship
Portugal’s national handball team has learned its destination for the 2027 World Championship. Following their historic performance at Euro 2026, the International Handball Federation (IHF) announced today that the Portuguese “Heroes of the Sea” will compete in Group F, based in the handball-obsessed city of Magdeburg, Germany.
A Path Paved by Success
Portugal secured a direct ticket to the 30th edition of the premier international tournament after securing a fifth-place finish at Euro 2026—the nation’s best-ever result in a European Championship. This achievement grants Paulo Jorge Pereira’s squad the status of a top seed for the group stage draw, protecting them from facing giants like Denmark, Sweden, and Germany in the opening round.
As a top seed, Portugal will avoid reigning Olympic and world champions Denmark, as well as powerhouse programs like Croatia, Iceland, Egypt, and Argentina during the preliminary phase.
Tournament Structure and Key Cities
The GETEC Arena in Magdeburg will serve as the home for Group F. Meanwhile, the tournament will be spread across Germany’s most iconic handball venues:
- Munich: Groups A and C (featuring Germany and Croatia)
- Stuttgart: Groups B and D
- Kiel: Groups E and G (featuring Sweden and Denmark)
- Magdeburg: Groups F and H (featuring Portugal and Iceland)
The top three teams from each of the eight preliminary groups will advance to the Main Round. From there, 24 teams will battle in Hannover and Cologne for a spot in the knockout stages. The “Cathedral of Handball”—the Lanxess Arena in Cologne—will host the final 12 matches, including the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship final.
The Road to the Podium
While the full draw will be held on June 10 in Munich, Portugal knows they will face three opponents selected from Pots 2, 3, and 4. Potential challengers from Pot 3 include Brazil, Bahrain, and Tunisia, while Pot 4 features Qatar, Kuwait, and Japan.
This marks Portugal’s seventh appearance in a World Championship final stage and their fourth consecutive qualification—a testament to the golden era of Portuguese handball. The team aims to build on their momentum after finishing fourth in the 2025 World Championship, narrowly missing out on a medal.
The 2027 World Championship is set to take place from January 13 to 31, 2027, featuring 32 national teams from across the globe.
Image: Pexels – Bence Szemerey
