Turkey's 2027 World C'ship Rivals: Croatia, Spain, Chile

Historic First: Men's National Team Draws Croatia, Spain and Chile at 2027 World Championship

Set to compete at the World Championship for the first time in its history, the Turkey Men's National Handball Team was drawn into Group C at the draw held in Munich. The Crescent-Stars will face reigning World Championship runners-up Croatia, two-time world champions Spain, and South American representative Chile.

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| 10 Jun 2026, 22:19 2 min okuma read 0

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Set to make its World Championship debut, Turkey's Men's National Team was drawn into Group C alongside Croatia, Spain and Chile
Group C matches will be played on January 14, 16 and 18, 2027 at SAP Garden in Munich; the top three teams in the group advance to the main round.
The 32-team championship will be held in Germany from January 13-31, 2027, with the final at Lanxess Arena in Cologne.

THF MEDIA

The draw for the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship was held on the evening of June 10 at the historic Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany. Turkey's Men's National Team, which earned its place in the tournament via a wild card granted by the IHF Council and will thus appear at a World Championship for the first time in its history, was placed in Group C.

The National Team's group-stage opponents turned out to be Croatia, Spain and Chile. Group C's top seed, Croatia, finished the 2025 World Championship in second place, claiming the silver medal. Spain, world champions in 2005 and 2013, and Chile, drawn from the third pot, stand out as one of South American handball's most consistent representatives.

Group C matches will be played at Munich's new-generation arena, SAP Garden, on January 14, 16 and 18, 2027. The same venue will also host Group A, which includes host nation Germany. Turkey's match schedule and kick-off times will be announced in the coming days.

The championship, to be hosted by Germany from January 13 to 31, 2027, will feature 32 teams competing across eight groups. The top three finishers in each group will advance to the main round, while the teams finishing last in their groups will contest placement matches at the President's Cup in Magdeburg. The tournament final will be played on January 31 at Lanxess Arena in Cologne.

In announcing its wild card decision, the IHF stated that it had taken into account federations' contributions to the global development of handball, while German media reports highlighted the role played by Germany's large Turkish community in the decision. This suggests that Turkey's national team could find an advantageous atmosphere of stand support during its group matches in Munich.

On paper, Group C looks extremely tough for a World Championship debutant; but the real value of this draw lies not in result expectations but in the experience and visibility it offers. Facing two of world handball's most established traditions, Croatia and Spain, in an official tournament setting is a rare opportunity for this generation to gauge the gap to the international elite on the pitch. The truly pivotal fixture, however, is the match against Chile: in the arithmetic of group qualification, this game opens the door to third place and should already be marked as the National Team's real target in the tournament. Moreover, with the format sending three teams from each group into the main round, even a single win could be enough to clear a historic threshold. The Munich factor should not be underestimated either; given the size of Germany's Turkish community, it would be no surprise if all three matches at SAP Garden effectively unfold in a semi-home atmosphere. It is no coincidence that the IHF cited this community in its wild card rationale; Turkey has a chance to introduce itself to the handball world not only through its performance on court but through the energy it generates in the stands. How the seven-month preparation period leading up to January 2027 is planned will determine how well this historic opportunity is seized.