The match schedule for the 12th edition of the IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships has been released.

The two global events will be played side-by-side on the edges of Jarun Lake, Zagreb, Croatia from 23 to 28 June 2026 and will feature a total of 144 matches.

And following the group draw earlier this month the path to gold is now known.

The Preliminary Group stage of Croatia 2026 starts on Tuesday 23 June at 1000hrs (local time) with all 32 teams playing a total of 32 games in the opening day session, taking place across the morning, afternoon and evening on four courts.

Women’s reigning champions Germany get their campaign underway against Asian champions Vietnam (1200hrs), while the men’s title-holders and host nation Croatia, play Oman (1300hrs) in the first match on home sand. Croatia’s women’s team open their home competition with a match against Puerto Rico (1200hrs).

Other opening day highlights include The World Games 2025 winners and 2024 world championship runners-up Argentina taking on Philippines in the women’s competition (1000hrs), with the South American side men’s team playing 2024 runners-up Germany (1100hrs). 

In the women’s event, debutants Benin play Denmark (1000hrs) and Cook Islands play Spain (1200hrs), while men’s first-timers Italy take on historic title record-holders Brazil (1100hrs) and fellow debutants France play Australia (1300hrs).

 

The action ramps up on day two on Wednesday (24 June) with the entire preliminary group stage decided by a total of 16 games across a morning session. The main round and the consolation round start on Thursday (25 June), finishing with a morning/early afternoon session on Friday (26 June).

Saturday 27 June will start with 5-16 placement matches, followed, at the business end of the day, by the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.

The final day of action – Sunday 28 June – features 16 games in total with the 5/6, 7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14, 15/16 placement matches concluding in a morning and afternoon session and the medal matches taking place in an evening session, starting with bronze matches at 1700 (women) and 1800 (men), followed by the gold medal finals at 1900 (women) and 2000 (men).

All games will be streamed live on the IHF Competitions YouTube channel (geo-restrictions will apply).

2026 IHF Men’s and Women’s Beach Handball World Championships – Match Schedule

All times local, Competition Management has the right to change the order, the court and the time of the matches.

PRELIMINARY GROUPS

Tuesday 23 June 2026

Men’s Competition
1100 GER v ARG, BRA v ITA, HUN v TUN, DEN v PUR
1300 CRO v OMA, ESP v IRI, POR v USA, FRA v AUS
1900 IRI v DEN, TUN v PUR, ITA v GER, BRA v ARG
2000 AUS v CRO, FRA v OMA
2100 USA v ESP, POR v IRI

Women’s Competition
1000 NOR v BRA, GRE v USA, ARG v PHI, DEN v BEN
1200 CRO v PUR, ESP v COK, GER v VIE, NED v URU
1800 ARG v DEN, PHI v BEN, USA v NOR, GRE v BRA
2000 CRO v COK, URU v GER, NED v VIE, PHI v ESP

Wednesday 24 June 2026

Men’s Competition
1100 GER v BRA, ARG v ITA, ESP v POR, IRI v USA
1300 CRO v FRA, DEN v TUN, OMA v AUS, PUR v HUN

Women’s Competition
1000 GER v NED, VIE v URU, BRA v USA, NOR v GRE
1200 ESP v CRO, DEN v PHI, BEN v ARG, COK v PHI

Thursday 25 June 2026

Men’s and Women’s Competitions
Main Round

Friday 26 June 2026

Men’s and Women’s Competitions
Main Round

Saturday 27 June 2026

Men’s and Women’s Competitions
Consolation round, 5-16 placement round matches
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals

Sunday 28 June 2026

Men’s Competition
1000 7/8, 11/12, 13/14 15/16 Placement Matches
1100 9/10 Placement Match
1200 5/6 Placement Match
1800 Bronze/3/4 Placement Match
1900 Gold/Final Match

Women’s Competition
1100 5/6, 13/14, 15/16 Placement Matches
1200 7/8, 9/10, 11/12 Placement Matches
1700 Bronze/3/4 Placement Match
1900 Gold/Final Match