The countdown is on for the IHF World Championship 2025! The ultimate stage for men’s club handball. From September 26 to October 2, Egypt will host a week of fast moves, big goals, and fierce battles as the best clubs from around the world fight for glory.
With powerhouse teams like Telekom Veszprém, SC Magdeburg, Al Ahly, Zamalek, and even FC Barcelona in the mix, this tournament promises non-stop excitement. We will bring you all the updates, highlights, and key moments as fans wait to see which club will rise and be crowned the true world champions handball.
The IHF world championship in the club format is a global contest where the top club teams from each region compete against each other to claim the title of “world champions handball” at the club level. Often this is called the handball world cup for clubs, though that name is less commonly used by the IHF itself.
So when we say IHF world championship in this article, we mean the club-level World Championship (i.e. the Men’s Club World Championship). Occasionally readers may confuse it with the national teams’ handball world championship, but we’ll clarify the difference below.
Here are key facts about the 2025 men’s club version of the IHF world championship:
The IHF world championship in its club form often features winners from each continental club competition, a host club, and sometimes a wildcard.
Here are the nine teams competing in the 2025 IHF World Championship (club edition):
| Role | Team | Notes |
| Defending champion | Telekom Veszprém (Hungary) | They won the last edition. |
| Host | Zamalek (Egypt) | As hosts, they get an automatic spot. |
| African champion | Al Ahly (Egypt) | Qualified via African club competition. |
| Asian | Sharjah SC (UAE) | Winner of Asian club league competitions. |
| European | SC Magdeburg (Germany) | As the EHF Champions League winner. |
| South/Central American | Handebol Taubaté (Brazil) | Champion of that region’s club competition. |
| North America / Caribbean | California Eagles (USA) | Qualified via their regional club championship. |
| Oceania | Sydney Uni (Australia) | Qualified from Oceania club level. |
| Wildcard | FC Barcelona (Spain) | Invited as a wildcard to complete the field. |
This global mix ensures that the men’s world championship handball stage is rich and competitive.
Here’s how the IHF world championship (club version) runs in 2025:
Through this structure, fans experience high-stakes matches and the competition truly lives up to being a handball world championship at the club level.
When people hear “IHF World Championship,” many think of the national teams’ version — the one where countries compete. That’s the standard handball world championship (or simply world championship handball). For example, in 2025 the World Men’s Handball Championship was held across Croatia, Denmark, and Norway.
Here’s how they differ:
| Feature | Club IHF World Championship | National Teams Handball World Championship |
| Participants | Club teams (e.g. Veszprém, Barcelona) | National teams (e.g. Denmark, France) |
| Qualification | Continental club champions, hosts, wildcards | National qualifiers via continental tournaments |
| Frequency & Branding | Annual / periodic club world event | Usually every two years for national teams |
| Purpose | To crown club-level world champions | To determine which country has the best handball squad |
So while both are IHF world championship events in handball, one is men’s world championship handball for clubs and the other is for national sides.
The IHF World Championship, in its men’s club version, is a thrilling competition that crowns the best club in the world in handball. It complements the more familiar handball world championship for national teams and adds excitement to the sport’s calendar. As we head into the 2025 edition in Egypt (26 September to 2 October), fans everywhere will be watching to see which club earns the title of world champions handball at the club level.
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