After the conclusion of the Men’s EHF EURO 2024 and the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, all the 12 qualified teams for the Paris 2024 Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments, which are due to take place between 14 and 17 March 2024, were decided. 

Portugal and Austria qualified for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments from the EHF EURO 2024, after finishing seventh and eighth, while Algeria and Tunisia were the qualified teams from the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, after finishing second and third in the competition. 

As Egypt and Sweden also got their tickets to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as their continent’s representatives, two more spots were unlocked via the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, with ninth-placed Croatia and tenth-placed Slovenia also sealing their spots at the Olympic Qualification Tournaments. 

Therefore, in the Olympic Qualification Tournament 1, Spain, which finished third at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, will face Slovenia, as well the second-placed side at the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament, Bahrain, and the second-placed side at the 2023 Pan-American Games, Brazil. 

Three European sides plus Algeria, the runners-up at the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship, will meet in the Olympic Qualification Tournament 2, as Germany (fifth-placed side at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship), Croatia (ninth at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship) and Austria (eighth at the EHF EURO 2024) fighting for the coveted top two places. 

Last, but not least, in the Olympic Qualification Tournament 3, the sixth and eighth placed sides at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship – Norway and Hungary – are facing Portugal (seventh at the EHF EURO 2024) and Tunisia, the third side at the 2024 CAHB African Men’s Handball Championship. 

The IHF Council has decided to award the hosting rights to the National Federations of Spain, Germany and Hungary, as their bids proved to be fulfilling all the logistical requests. 

All three Olympic Qualification Tournaments will be played in  arenas with huge handball experience a capacity of over 6,000 seats, making these the perfect setting for an outstanding competition, with everything at stake. 

The Olympic Qualification Tournament 1 will be played in the Palau d'Esports de Granollers, the arena which hosted the finals at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games and was also the host of the final weekend of the 2021 IHF Women’s World Championship with a capacity of 6,500 spectators. 

The ZAG Arena in Hanover with a capacity of 9,800 spectators in Germany, that is often used for handball events in Germany will be the host for the Olympic Qualification Tournament 2, while the Tatabánya Arena in Hungary, the fourth-largest handball arena in Hungary, with a capacity of 6,000 seats, is due to host the Olympic Qualification Tournament 3. 

The three Olympic Qualification Tournaments will be played in a round-robin format, with the top two sides in each one progressing to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. 

Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments – Paris 2024 Olympic Games 

Tournament 1 (in Granollers, Spain): Spain, Slovenia, Bahrain, Brazil 

Tournament 2 (in Hanover, Germany): Germany, Croatia, Algeria, Austria 

Tournament 3 (in Tatabánya, Hungary): Norway, Hungary, Portugal, Tunisia 

Hosts France, world champions Denmark, Pan American Games winners Argentina, the African champions Egypt, Sweden and Japan are the six teams which have already sealed their tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.