Ahead of the medal matches on the final day of the 2026 IHF Men’s and Women's Beach Handball World Championships, the All-star Teams can be revealed.

The IHF Analyst team of Tamas Neukum and Mika Illes have selected players based on their performance throughout the competition with all 31 head coaches at Croatia 2026 involved in the final decision.

Croatia 2026 – Women’s All-star Team

Best Goalkeeper: #16 Patricia ENCINAS GUARDADO (Spain)
Best Left Wing: #10 Beatriz CORREIA (Brazil)
Best Right Wing: #2 Elena Ioanna KERLIDI (Greece)
Best Line Player: #10 Isabel KATTNER (Germany)
Best Defender: #6 Alma Jazmin MOLINA (Argentina)
Best Playmaker: #7 Line Berggren LARSEN (Denmark)
MVP: #10 Zoe TURNES (Argentina)

Croatia 2026 – Men’s All-star Team

Best Goalkeeper: #26 Moritz EBERT (Germany)
Best Left Wing: #7 Jorge Nahuel PEREZ BAPTISTA (Argentina)
Best Right Wing: #5 Nailson AMARAL (Brazil)
Best Line Player: #5 Ivan JURIC (Croatia)
Best Defender: #13 Severin HENRICH (Germany)
Best Playmaker: #11 Lucas Matias CORONEL (Argentina)
MVP: #6 Bruno CARLOS DE OLIVEIRA (Brazil)

Can anything get past Guardado?

In the women’s competition there is, quite literally, no stopping goalkeeper Patricia Encinas Guardado who is selected as best goalkeeper once again. This means the Spanish legend has now won the same award at the past three world championships (2022, 2024, 2026).

Germany’s line player (pivot) Isabel Kattner features in the 2026 All-star Team, just like she did back at China 2024, with Denmark’s Line Berggren Larsen picking up the best playmaker award, after being named MVP two years ago.

Argentina can boast both the MVP this time around, in Zoe Turnes, plus the best defender, in Alma Jazmin Molina. 

Legendary names in best men’s team

In the men’s competition, Brazil’s Nailson Amaral continues his All-star Team success, taking the best right wing at Croatia 2026, an award he also won at Russia (Kazan) 2018 and Brazil 2014.

Croatia’s Ivan Juric is another name synonymous with excellence in beach handball, the Croatian captain winning the best line player award adding to his Russia 2018 best wing award and Hungary (Budapest) 2016 best left wing and MVP double awards.

Another familiar face in the team of the best is Brazil’s Bruno Carlos de Oliveira. The magician in the middle of the sand for the South Americans wins the MVP award for Croatia 2026, adding another trophy to his locker, following his MVP and best specialist award from Russia 2018 and best specialist from Hungary 2016 in recent years. 

More recently, Germany’s Severin Henrich wins the 2026 best defender award, his second successive trophy after taking home the same one in 2024.