The IHF Men’s World Championship is where legacies are written and players begin to make their mark on the biggest of stages. While stalwarts have already represented their countries several times, with Nikola Karabatić featuring in the competition for the ninth time, other players are just starting their journey at the World Championship.

Some may be young players who have shined in other competitions, while others might have come of age but have not had the chance to play at the IHF Men’s World Championship.

Nevertheless, Poland/Sweden 2023 will be the tournament where they can write their destiny, with several impressive players making their debut in the world handball flagship competition. Let’s get to know some of them.

Luc Steins / Kay Smits (Netherlands)

Being awarded a wildcard to enter the competition after they lost the doubleheader against Portugal in the Qualification Europe – Part 2, the Netherlands will be returning to the biggest of stages for the first time since 1961, an excellent performance for a side that is slowly evolving from an emerging team to a sure bet in men’s handball.

Led by Swedish ace Staffan Olsson from the bench, the Dutch side relies heavily on two players – centre back Luc Steins and right back Kay Smits. Entering his prime at the age of 27, Steins was named the All-Star centre back at the EHF EURO 2022 and was the MVP of the Starligue, the French first league, in 2021 and 2022 due to his excellent leadership of both the Dutch side and his club team, Paris Saint-Germain.

The 25-year-old Smits has been an integral part of SC Magdeburg, a team which he helped win the IHF Men’s Super Globe in 2021 and 2022, and finished as the fourth-best goal scorer at the EHF EURO 2022 with 45 goals, despite missing some matches due to a COVID-19 positive test.

Both backs are integral to the Netherlands’ success. It will be interesting to see how they cope with the pressure on the biggest of stages when they finally debut at the IHF Men’s World Championship in a tough group where they face Norway, North Macedonia and Argentina.

Francisco Mota da Costa / Martim Mota da Costa (Portugal)

The two brothers are set to be the future of Portugal in the coming decades, as they have already taken the world by storm, both at the younger age categories and at club level for Sporting CP, where they are coached by their father, himself a former handball player.

A right back who can dazzle opponents with his speed but can also shoot, Francisco Mota da Costa is touted to be the next best thing in handball, being the All-Star right back at the M19 EHF EURO 2021 and at the M20 EHF EURO 2022. He also scored 110 goals for Sporting CP in the last two seasons of the EHF European League Men and was the top goal scorer of the M20 EHF EURO 2022 last summer.

His brother Martim, two years older than Francisco, is also a prolific goal scorer, having put 90 goals past Sporting’s opponents in the European second-tier club competition. He is more of a conventional back, but he is also a prospect to watch after being named the All-Star left back at the M20 EHF EURO 2022.

Both brothers made their debut for the national team in the European Qualifiers Phase 2 against the Netherlands. They helped Portugal clinch a 65:61 win in the doubleheader, qualifying for the IHF Men’s World Championship for the second time in a row, where they will finally make their debut in a major senior tournament.

Miloš Vujović (Montenegro)

Vujović is a prolific goal scorer for Montenegro and will make his debut at the IHF Men’s World Championship at Poland/Sweden 2023, as the European side will make their comeback for the first time in 10 years.

The 29-year-old left wing has been an integral part of his national team as he became the All-Star left wing at the EHF EURO 2022, while also being a key player for his club side, Füchse Berlin, in the German Bundesliga, putting 117 goals on the board in the past three seasons.

This season, Vujović has seen a drop in performance, with only 34 goals in 18 matches for Berlin in the German Bundesliga, but he is still earmarked to be one of the best players in his position at Poland/Sweden 2023.

Aleks Vlah (Slovenia)

Slovenia have seen a change of guards, with younger players joining the squad. Still, their luck ran out in the draw for the preliminary round at Poland/Sweden 2023, facing co-hosts Poland, favourites France and Saudi Arabia in the first part of the tournament.

Here, Vlah will make his debut in a major tournament and Slovenia have big expectations of him after he played a stellar season for Celje Pivovarna Lasko in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League, where he scored 70 goals, making him the second-best scorer in the European premium competition after Poland’s Kamil Syprzak.

Stefan Dodić (Serbia)

Dodić has always been a huge talent, as highlighted by his performances in the early part of his career, and the 19-year-old centre back took the competition by storm at the M20 EHF EURO 2022 last summer when he became the MVP of the tournament.

A centre back who can unlock any defence, Dodić was loaned to HC PPD Zagreb by parent club Kielce for this season and helped his new side secure the best start in years in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. He scored 20 goals in the first nine matches, slotting in immediately as the centre of the offence.

Serbia are returning to the competition after missing the cut at Egypt 2021, and Dodić could make an impact as he has gained more and more experience in recent years and is ready for such an important competition.

Simon Pytlick (Denmark)

The son of Jan Pytlick, who will travel to Poland/Sweden 2023 as coach of Saudi Arabia, Simon was destined to be a handball player as the sport ran in the family. A strong left back, Pytlick made his debut in the national team in 2021 and has earned the trust of coach Nikolaj Jacobsen as Denmark try to make it three times in a row this January.

The 21-year-old left back was close to miss the championship after a positive COVID-19 test in early January. Still, he has recovered and will be eager to bring his talent to the stage after scoring 58 goals for GOG in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League this season, the highest number of goals for the current Danish champions.

Imanol Garciandia (Spain)

Breaking through in Spain’s national team is difficult as “Los Hispanos” have excellent players. However, the ageing core is slowly starting to be replaced and Garciandia, who made his debut in 2018 but has never played in a major international tournament, is ready to take advantage.

Since signing for OTP Bank-Pick Szeged in 2021, Garciandia has been improving, slowly getting to grips with the role reserved for him. At Poland/Sweden 2023, he might be at the bottom of the pecking order, with Alex Dujshebaev and Jorge Maqueda starring on the right back position, but Garciandia might be a wildcard picked by Jordi Ribera to surprise.

Dylan Nahi (France)

Nahi was first selected for France’s national team in 2017 when he was only 18 years old, but the reigning Olympic champions had plenty of talent on the left wing. But with Michaël Guigou retiring after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Hugo Descat injured, Nahi was a shoo-in for Poland/Sweden 2023.

The 23-year-old left wing has been a reliable scorer for PSG and Kielce in the top European competition in recent years, scoring 196 goals in four seasons, as he slowly becomes a vital part of a new generation of France players. After taking part in the EHF EURO 2022 last January, he is also ready to make his debut at the IHF Men’s World Championship at Poland/Sweden 2023.

Photo: EHF/Kolektiff Images