Algerian Radio
The national men's handball team has been placed in Pot 4 ahead of the draw for the 2027 World Championship, scheduled for June 10 in Munich, Germany, according to the International Handball Federation (IHF).
Alongside Algeria, Pot 4 includes Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Angola, and Uruguay, in addition to two wild card teams, completing the field of 32 teams participating in the championship.
The national team secured its qualification for the 2027 World Championship after finishing fourth in the 2026 African Nations Championship, which took place in Rwanda from January 21 to 31, and was won by the Egyptian team after defeating Tunisia in the final.
The final list of qualified teams is not yet complete, with 13 tickets still up for grabs, while 19 teams have officially secured their qualification. Germany (the host nation) and Denmark (the defending world champion) were the only teams qualified before the continental championships held last January.
The African continent will be represented at this global event by Egypt, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Algeria, and Angola.
Angola succeeded in booking its seat after defeating Nigeria in the 5th-6th place playoff match at the 2026 African Nations Championship, marking its first participation in the World Championship since 2021 and the sixth in its history.
The field of participants will be completed by the champion of the North America and Caribbean Men's Handball Championship, alongside ten teams qualifying from the playoffs (Phase 3) of the European qualifiers scheduled for May 2026, in addition to two wild cards awarded by the IHF Council.
According to the IHF Competition Regulations, the 2027 World Championship draw will be conducted based on four performance pots. The preliminary round will feature eight groups of four teams each, with the top three teams from each group advancing to the main round.
The championship will be held from January 13 to 31, 2027. The preliminary round will be scheduled in a way that ensures each team benefits from at least one rest day between matches, so that no team plays two matches on consecutive days, in order to preserve the players' safety and physical condition, as emphasized by the international body.
The main round and the President's Cup will take place immediately after the end of the preliminary round, respecting the principle of at least one rest day between all matches for each team. The final weekend, which will be held in Cologne, will include the semi-finals, placement matches for 5th to 8th place, the third-place match, and the final.
The preliminary round (two groups in each city) will take place in Munich, Magdeburg, Kiel, and Stuttgart.
The main round (two groups per city) will be held in Cologne and Hanover, while the President's Cup competitions will take place in Magdeburg. The Lanxess Arena in Cologne will host the knockout stages starting from the quarter-finals.
Composition of the Four 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, 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, NACHC representative.
- Pot 4: Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Algeria, Angola, Uruguay, Wild Card 1, Wild Card 2.
