There is something in the air in Cairo for Emil Nielsen, especially when he features at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship.

Back in 2024, when FC Barcelona failed to make the cut for the final, and finished fourth, he still ended up with a 35% saving efficiency, with 29 saves in four matches.

In the last edition, he produced a clinical performance in the final against Veszprém, with 27 saves for an otherworldly 49% saving efficiency, arguably one of the best outings in a single match of the competition, to help his side, Barcelona, clinch the sixth title.

In the 2025 edition of the world handball club flagship competition, Nielsen had 47 saves for a 47% saving efficiency, being one of the key reasons why Barcelona won the title.

But now, Nielsen is defending Veszprém’s colours, after one of the best transfers made on the market this summer, completing a puzzle which produced a team which has fantastic players on each position.

From foe to friend, the Danish shot stopper – the All-Star goalkeeper at the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship - is now producing fantastic saves for the Hungarian powerhouse and one of his performances helped Veszprém to defeat Füchse Berlin, 34:33, in the second round of the Group Phase at the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship.

Nielsen did not do anything special – by his standards – and was even replaced at one point by teammate Mikael Appelgren between the posts. Only that Nielsen came back and saved Mathias Gidsel’s last-gasp shot to protect a 34:33 win for Veszprém, which eventually saw the Hungarian champions progress to the final against Barcelona.

 

“Today was difficult for me; I was struggling. I’m really happy with the team. We played amazingly. Even though Lasse Ludwig, their goalkeeper, had, I don’t know, two million more saves than me, we ended up winning, which is pretty impressive. So, chapeau to the team. This was a team performance, and we did great. I’m happy I could contribute a little bit at the end, because it was tough for me today,” said Nielsen.

“We were struggling in defence and struggling to score at times, but the fact that we won is quite remarkable, to be honest.”

To say that after a match where Nielsen had 10 saves for a 30% saving efficiency, is just an epitome of the high standards the Denmark goalkeeper sets for himself during high-profile matches.

Especially when at 29 years old, he has won everything there is to win in handball. He is a World, Olympic and European champion. He won the IHF Men’s Club World Championship with Barcelona in 2025 and the Machineseeker EHF Champions League with the Spanish club in 2024 and 2026.

But the hunger is still there for Nielsen.

“It’s always great, of course. We go into every game to win, so it’s really important for motivation and confidence,” says the Denmark goalkeeper.

“There are important objectives, this competition is crucial for us, the Champions League is also important. There are different competitions, because here we play five matches, in the Champions League there are more and it’s over one season, but in the end our objective and our job is to win trophies.”

Nielsen is a professional and, at 29 years old, is reaching the peak of his career. In handball, moving from one giant to another happens all the time, but the adaptation period is there.

 

For Nielsen, it’s about a new country, new teammates, a different environment, a new coach and a differen outlook.

Veszprém are, though, a giant, and their hunger has been well documented, with the ambition of the club shining over the last three years, when they made the final in each of the last three editions of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, returning after a decade.

“Veszprém is different from what I’m used to, but I’m good. I’m happy, especially with the team. It’s an amazing group of guys,” says Nielsen.

“The chemistry is great, for sure. Some of the guys know each other very well. There’s still a lot we can improve. I think we’ve only reached 60–70% of our peak performance, and we can become a really, really good team.”

But now, the moment of truth will arrive. While it certainly won’t define Nielsen’s choice, seeing players he knows fully well when Veszprém take on Barcelona in the final of the 2026 IHF Men’s Club World Championship, the Danish goalkeeper will definitely define the storyline of the match.

Surely, Nielsen knew that when he decided to move from one club to another and with such powerhouses, a match against his former team would be on the cards.

It will come fast, and with the title on the line, but such is the life of the best players in the world.

“We are ready,” says Nielsen. But before that final scheduled for Thursday, both Veszprém and Barcelona have to play against teams which have not won a match in this edition’s of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship.