The third day of the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship provides a mouthwatering encounter between two former winners of the competition - Füchse Berlin and Veszprém HC, in what shapes up to be a decider for the first place in Group B.

• 11:00 – Placement Matches 9/10: Sydney Uni vs Los Angeles Handball Club
• 13:15 – Group A: Montada vs E.C. Pinheiros
• 15:30 – Group A: FC Barcelona vs Zamalek Club
• 17:45 – Group B: Füchse Berlin vs Veszprém HC
• 20:00 – Group B: Al Ahly vs Burgan SC

With everything down on the line, there is little room for error, as six teams feature for the second time at the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, while four sides play for the third time in the competition.

The most expected encounter of the third day will be the heavyweight clash between two former champions which won their first matches. Veszprém HC, winners in 2024, take on Füchse Berlin, the winners in 2015 and 2016, as the two sides collide with a clear prize in mind: the top place, which will see the winner of the group advance to the final.

Both sides have won their first matches, with Veszprém HC taking a 31:23 win against Al Ahly, while Füchse secured a 38:18 win against Kuwaiti side Burgan.

But the room for mistake here is slim: the team which loses will have slim chances to progress to the final, as the winner will be on four points and favourite in the last match of the group.

The two teams have met three times in 2026, in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League. Füchse eliminated the Hungarian side in the quarter-finals of the last season, on penalties, after losing 34:35 in Hungary and winning at home, 31:30.

But in this season, they met on 16 September, and Veszprem took a convincing win, 35:29, in Berlin.

The other match in Group B will see Al Ahly play against Burgan. Four of Al Ahly’s players featured for Burgan when they won the 2026 AHF Asian Men’s Club Championship, but this time will be opponents, as the Egyptian side aims for their maiden win in this edition.

The situation is more or less the same in Group A, where Barcelona and Zamalek have won their maiden matches and are tied on points on the top of the standings.

Barcelona have once again proven that they are title candidates – aiming for their seventh title in the competition – dominating Pinheiros in the first match of the group, when they won 44:33.

Zamalek also dominated Montada, 42:17, boasting a better goal difference in this moment. However, both mutual matches, in 2021 and 2025, were won by Barcelona, 36:32 and 47:25 respectively. A win will ensure Barcelona’s win in the group, irrespective of their last match against Montada.

Currently, the top scorer of the competition is Veszprem’s left wing, Hugo Descat, who scored 18 goals, two more than Zamalek’s Abdelrhman Aly and LA HC’s Andraz Velkavrh.

Los Angeles and Sydney Uni will open the day, with the ninth place on the line. In the first match between the two sides, LA won comfortably, 28:17.