Germany and France revealed the six cities that will stage the 31st edition of the IHF Men's World Championship, with the German national team opening the tournament at Berlin’s Uber Arena and the final round being played in the French capital.

The road to the 2029 IHF Men’s World Championship now has its destinations. Germany and France, joint hosts of the 31st edition of the competition, officially announced six host cities in Berlin on Thursday evening.

On the German side, the competition will be played in Berlin, Hamburg and Cologne. France will welcome teams and fans to Strasbourg, Lyon and Paris, with the medals decided in the French capital. All venues are subject to IHF confirmation following inspections which will take place shortly.

The Germany national team will begin its campaign at the Uber Arena in Berlin, which will also host the tournament’s opening match. The Barclays Arena in Hamburg will stage a further preliminary round group. The LANXESS arena in Cologne, one of the best-known venues in world handball, will host Germany’s main round group, provided the team qualifies, as well as a quarter-final.

In France, the competition will build towards a grand finale in Paris. The venues in Strasbourg, Lyon and Paris will be confirmed at a later date. All venues remain subject to final approval by the IHF.

A decade of handball between neighbours

The announcement comes at an exciting moment for both federations, with several competitions to be organised. Germany is preparing to host the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship in January, only two years before the 2029 edition. For France, 2029 opens an unprecedented period: the country will co-host the Women’s EHF EURO 2030 with Belgium, followed by the Men’s EHF EURO 2032, again alongside Germany. 

Philippe Bana, President of the French Handball Federation (FFHandball), is clear about what this sequence of events must mean for the sport at home. “This World Championship marks the beginning of a unique period for French handball, with France set to host three major international competitions by 2032,” he said. “We fully recognise the responsibility this brings, and our commitment is clear: these events must benefit the entire handball community – our clubs, our volunteers, our young people and the regions hosting us. In Strasbourg, Lyon and Paris, we want to turn this World Championship, shared with our German friends, into a great celebration for everyone that leaves a lasting legacy.”

Two experienced hosts to provide a fantastic event

The IHF Men’s World Championship is returning to two countries that know the event well. Germany has hosted the competition seven times: in 1938, 1958, 1961, 1974, 1982, 2007 and 2019. The 2027 edition will be its eighth, and 2029 its ninth. Germany has also hosted the IHF Women’s World Championship four times, most recently in 2025 together with the Netherlands. At the Men’s EHF EURO 2024, the opening match in Düsseldorf set a world attendance record for a handball match.

France has hosted the competition three times, in 1970, 2001 and 2017, and will welcome it for a fourth time in 2029, twelve years after its last edition. The country also staged the IHF Women’s World Championship in 2007 and the Women’s EHF EURO in 2018. The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games showed its experience in delivering major international sporting events.

For Andreas Michelmann, President of the German Handball Federation (DHB), the partnership between the two neighbours gives the event a special appeal. “Germany and France are not only two of the world’s leading handball nations, but also two major sporting nations in which handball plays an important role in society,” he said. “We look forward to celebrating a magnificent World Championship together in cities with a rich handball tradition.”

Further information on the match schedule and ticket sales will be announced at a later date.