Six of the first 10 clashes in the European Qualification Phase 3 for the 2027 IHF Men’s World Championship have finished with a difference of three goals of lower, as everything will be decided in the second leg of these doubleheaders, which will take place on Saturday and Sunday.

Only two teams recorded double-digit wins, as France dominated Czechia, 37:26, while Norway eventually pulled off a stunning second half, after a close first one against Türkiye, to take a 43:30 win.

In Talant Dujshebaev’s first official match as France’s coach, the six-time world champions missed some key players in Dika Mem, Elohim Prandi, Melvyn Richardson or Hugo Descat, but pulled no punches and dominated from start to finish, taking a 20:14 lead at the break.

Thibaud Briet scored seven goals in France’s 37:26 win, which sets a clear favourite before the second leg of this clash, due to take place on Sunday, in Orleans, with France just a whisker away of their 19th consecutive appearance in the world handball flagship competition.

Up only by three goals after the first half, 23:20, which produced 43 goals, Norway outscored Türkiye by 10 goals in the second half to secure a clear 43:30 win, as left wing August Pedersen scored 10 goals, seconded by right back Patrick Anderson, with seven goals, as the Scandinavian side scored the largest number of goals from all 20 teams in contention in this phase of the European Qualifiers.

In pursuit of their eighth consecutive appearance at the IHF Men’s World Championship, North Macedonia also secured a comfortable away win against Slovakia, 31:24, as Filip Kuzmanoski scored 10 goals, in a display of efficiency by Kiril Lazarov’s side.

With the two legs of the doubleheader played in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Spain had their share of issues against Israel, in a match where they were overwhelming favourites.

After 23 minutes, Spain only led by two goals, a gap which increased until half time to six, 18:12, but eventually Israel cut it to only five goals, conceding a respectable 32:27 loss against one of the powerhouses of the continent. Ian Tarrafeta scored five goals for Spain, in a match where all but one of the “Los Hispanos” outfield players had at least one goal under their name.

The Faroe Islands’ dream of securing their maiden appearance at the IHF Men’s World Championship received a huge boost after the first leg of their clash against Bosnia Herzegovina.

An away match is never easy, but Faroe had an excellent display, with goalkeeper Pauli Jacobsen pulling a blinder, with 17 saves for a 43.5% saving efficiency, while right wing Hákun West av Teigum scored 11 goals, in a crucial match for the Nordic side, especially as one of their top guns, Elias Ellefsen á Skipagøtu was not on the score sheet.

The Faroe Islands return home with a 24:22 win and the prospect of a full house in Torshavn, as they attempt their historic milestone, after two consecutive EHF EURO participations.

Another surprise on the cards was Greece’s win against the Netherlands on home court in Chalkida, with their second win in three years against the Dutch side. It was a game full of twists and turns, with Greece leading by as many as four goals, while the Netherlands wrestled the lead back in the last 15 minutes, only for Greece to finish the match with a 9:2 run.

Dimitrios Panagiotou scored seven goals, while Achilleas Toskas added five for Greece, but the Netherlands will still look for a comeback on home court, where they will be favoured. Provided Greece keep up their form, it will be only their second appearance in history at the World Championship, after finishing sixth at Tunisia 2005, when they made the quarter-finals.

Slovenia and Poland both secured one-goal away wins against Montenegro and Austria respectively, making them favourites to secure their tickets for Germany 2027, but if the first leg is any indication, their mission will not be easy.

Slovenia led by as many as six goals close to the end of the first half against Montenegro, 15:9, but Didier Dinart’s side came back in the second half, eventually conceding a 28:29 loss. Aleks Vlah and Blaz Janc scored seven and six goals respectively for Slovenia.

Poland, which finished 25th at the last edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship and 21st at the EHF EURO 2026, are looking for redemption and their 26:25 win in a hard-fought battle against Austria will be key, before the second leg. Since 2007, Poland missed only one edition of the World Championship, failing to qualify in 2019.

A do-or-die battle will determine the fate of the Serbia vs Hungary tie, one of the most anticipated in this phase of the European Qualifiers. Two powerhouses, with two Spanish coaches, Raul Gonzalez for Serbia and Chema Rodriguez for Hungary, was the most anticipated tie from a neutral standpoint and there will be drama around the 120 minutes with a World Championship ticket on the line.

Serbia had six goals at the break, 18:12, and seven goals with 13 minutes to go, 30:23, but Hungary mustered a fantastic comeback to balance the tie, walking away from Nis with a two-goal loss, 31:29, as they conceded a single goal in the last 12 minutes of the match.

Dragan Pechmalbec shined for Serbia, with eight goals, while right wing Bence Imre scored seven times for Hungary, with the return leg in Veszprém being previewed as a close call.

With everything on the line, the battle between Switzerland and Italy, two up-and-coming teams on the European scene, will go down to the wire, as the first leg was closely secured by Switzerland.

Italy led at the break, 17:16, as Mikael Helmersson and Gianluca Dapiran combined for 15 goals between them, only for Switzerland to rely in the second half on Noam Leopold to score nine goals from nine shots and push them ahead, 32:29. Luca Sigrist and Manuel Zehnder also combined for 11 goals between them, as Switzerland now have the upper hand before the second leg in Faenza on Sunday.

European Qualification Phase 3 – first leg results

Slovakia vs North Macedonia 24:31 (13:18)
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Faroe Islands 22:24 (10:12)
Czechia vs France 26:37 (14:20)
Switzerland vs Italy 32:29 (16:17)
Montenegro vs Slovenia 28:29 (12:16)
Serbia vs Hungary 31:29 (18:12)
Spain vs Israel 32:27 (18:12)
Greece vs Netherlands 29:27 (14:12)
Norway vs Türkiye 43:30 (23:20)
Austria vs Poland 25:26 (13:15)

Photo credit: Hellenic Handball Federation