Germany 2007, Croatia 2009 and Qatar 2015 were the pinnacle for the Polish handball at the IHF Men’s World Championship, when Poland secured three of the four medals in their history in the world handball flagship competition – a silver in 2007 and two bronze medals in 2009 and 2015.

Since then, Poland have taken some steps back, finishing in the top-10 both in 2011 and 2013, but failing to meet the mark at France 2017, Egypt 2021 and Poland/Sweden 2023, when they finished 17th, 13th and 15th respectively. The last edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship, when Poland were co-hosts, was a true disappointment, as several changes were made in order to bring the team back in contention.

Nevertheless, Poland also did not make it into the main round at the next major international competition, the EHF EURO 2024, when they ended up on the 16th place, with a single win in three matches, being eliminated in the preliminary round.

Therefore, Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 is a big test for Polish handball, especially as the European side will aim to get back between the top teams in the world. But the last results in official matches were inconsistent, as a plethora of absences in the squad saw Poland draw against Israel, 32:32, and win by a single goal against Romania, 29:28, in the EHF EURO 2026 Qualifiers in early November.

A star in the teams which secured medals at Germany 2007 and Croatia 2009, former right back Marcin Lijewski, has been overseeing this rebuild since 2023, with some stars in the place, but also with several players without too much international experience, which are just getting the gist of featuring in major international competitions.

The core of the team is still formed by some experienced players, such as right wing Arkadiusz Moryto and line player Kamil Syprzak, with the former being one of the most consistent scorers in the EHF Champions League Men in the previous three seasons, with at least 86 goals scored in each of the those years.

Adding talented centre backs Michal Olejniczak, Piotr Jędraszczyk or in-form goalkeeper Adam Morawski, Poland have plenty of talent at their disposal, but the absence of left back Szymon Sicko, who is injured and will not make it to Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 will definitely hamper Poland’s chances for a good result, as his set of skills is difficult to be replaced.

After eliminating Slovakia, 61:54 on aggregate in the Qualification Europe – Phase 2 to secure the tickets for the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, Poland hoped for an easier group, but an all-European Group A is expecting them, with some tough matches on the horizon.

While Germany are surely the big candidates for the first place, Czechia will be a tough nut to crack, especially as Poland’s opponents are coached by Xavi Sabate, who has been plying his trade in Poland, at Orlen Wisla Plock since 2018, having an intimate knowledge about Polish handball, with three of his players in Poland’s provisional list. 

The match against wild card Switzerland will also be crucial for Poland, as one of the most balanced groups at Croatia/Denmark/Norway 2025 will definitely bring high amounts of drama  in terms of the battle for the three main round berths.

Key players: Arkadiusz Moryto (right wing), Kamil Syprzak (line player), Michal Olejniczak (centre back)

Qualification: Qualification Europe - Phase 2 (61:54 aggregate win against Slovakia)

History in the competition: 1958: 5th, 1967: 12th, 1970: 14th, 1978: 6th, 1982: Bronze medal, 1986: 14th, 1990: 11th, 2003: 10th, 2007: Silver medal, 2009: Bronze medal, 2011: 8th, 2013: 9th, 2015: Bronze medal, 2017: 17th, 2021: 13th, 2023: 15th

Group at CRO/DEN/NOR 2025: Group A (Germany, Czechia, Poland, Switzerland)