Well, the 28th edition of the IHF Men's World Championship is underway and we could not have wished for a better start. In a nail-biting match which kept everyone on the edge of their seats, France trumped co-hosts Poland with a 26:24 win, as 11,000 fans cheered for their favourites in the Spodek Arena in Katowice.

It was the first time in 12 editions of the competition that the hosts conceded a loss in their opening match, something that has not happened since 1997 when Japan hosted the competition. 

The atmosphere in the Spodek Arena was truly exciting, and we expect more of the same as seven other matches are scheduled for an action-packed Thursday in the world's flagship handball competition. Co-hosts Sweden are also joining the party as they will be facing Brazil in Gothenburg.

Favourites Spain will also make their debut as they face Chile, while in the other match of Group B Slovenia enter the fray with a match against Saudi Arabia.

In Kristianstad, one of the most balanced groups of the competition is also starting, with Hungary facing the Republic of Korea. At the same time, Iceland meet Portugal in the clash that will likely cause the most stir.

The Republic of Korea are definitely a team to watch because they have really renewed themselves for Poland/Sweden 2023, taking a historic path. In May 2022, they appointed their first foreign coach when Portuguese mastermind Rolando Freitas took over the team. Read more about his experience and his expectations here. 

We also featured Poland's coach, Patryk Rombel before the start of the tournament. He talked about being "honoured, proud and excited" about playing at home, as his side has been preparing for Poland/Sweden 2023 for nearly four years. 

All the statistics, tailor-made for everyone, are just one click away, so you can follow your favourite player and see who's the best scorer, the best assists provider and the best goalkeeper. 

Right now, Poland's Szymon Sićko (seven goals) and right wing Arkadiusz Moryto (six goals) are the top goal scorers of the competition. Still, that ranking will surely get refreshed as soon as the seven matches are played today, with more goals expected to come from the 14 teams that will take to the court.

Curious about where you can follow your team on TV? Don't worry, we also got you covered – just click here! 

The IHF is working hard to bring you the best from what is sure to be an exciting competition, and wherever you are, there are many ways to follow the action! Make sure you stay up to date and follow our social media channels! 

You can also check out the best plays from the first day on our Facebook and Instagram accounts, with plenty of mouth-watering goals ready to be seen.