12 teams featuring 168 players will compete in the men’s handball competition to be held at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Of these 12 spots, one is reserved for the hosts, with four continental spots and one for the world champions – to make six in total.

The six remaining spots for Paris 2024 will be filled through three Olympic Qualification Tournaments (OQT) to be held from 11 to 17 March. Each tournament will feature four teams, a total of 12 teams.

Teams ranked 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th at Poland/Sweden 2023 will automatically qualify for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments. 3rd and 8th will be in Tournament #1 (OQT1), 4th and 7th will be in Tournament #2 (OQT2) and 5th and 6th will be in Tournament #3 (OQT3).

The remaining two teams in each OQT will consist of two from the best-ranked continent at Poland/Sweden 2023, two from the second-best continent and one each from the third and fourth-ranked continent – a total of six teams. These are called qualification slots (QS).

OQT1 will have teams from the third (QS3) and fourth best (QS4) continent, OQT2 will have one team each from the best (QS5) and second best (QS2) continent, and OQT3 will also have one team each from the best (QS1) and second best (QS6) continent.

Qualification places for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – Men’s Handball

1          France (Hosts)

2          2023 IHF Men’s World Championship winners – Denmark 

3          2023 Pan American Games winners (October-November 2023)

4          2023 AHF Men’s Asian Qualification event winners (autumn 2023)

5          2023 CAHB Men’s African Championship winners (January 2024)

6          2024 EHF Men’s European Championship winners (January 2024)

7+8       Olympic Qualification Tournament #1 – 1st and 2nd place

9+10     Olympic Qualification Tournament #2 – 1st and 2nd place

11+12   Olympic Qualification Tournament #3 – 1st and 2nd place

Additional information
QS 1 and 5 are allocated to the highest-placed continent at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship. The highest-ranked team (QS1) and next highest-ranked team (QS5) at the respective continental qualification event not yet qualified and not yet selected to participate in the IHF Qualification Tournaments will obtain the corresponding quota place.

QS 2 to 4 are allocated to the second (QS2), third (QS3) and fourth (QS4) highest-placed continents at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship. The highest-placed teams at the respective continental qualification event not yet qualified and not yet selected to participate in the IHF Qualification Tournaments will obtain the corresponding quota place. 

QS 6: If any team from Oceania is placed between 8th and 12th at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, this qualification quota place will be allocated to the highest placed NOC at the event in which Oceania can qualify that has not yet qualified. If this is not the case, this qualification quota place will be allocated to the next highest-placed continent at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, in addition to QS2. The NOC of the highest-placed team at the respective continental qualification event that has not yet qualified will be allocated the quota place.

*In the case of the Continental Confederations of North America and the Caribbean (NACHC) and South and Central America (SCAHC), the ‘best continent’ positions will be allocated based on the ranking at the respective combined continental qualification event. 

Example: Even though, e.g. BRA (belonging to SCAHC) is the best team from North America and the Caribbean (NACHC) and South and Central America (SCAHC), the corresponding place to be allocated to the next highest-ranked NOC at the combined continental qualification event might be allocated to, e.g. CUB (belonging to North America and the Caribbean).

The NOCs/NFs participating in the Olympic Qualification Tournaments must confirm their participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games to the IHF in case they obtain a quota place at the same time as registering their team(s) for the Olympic Qualification Tournaments by 15 February 2024.

*QS= Qualification quota place for the IHF Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournament

**The IHF is currently reviewing how to optimise the existing structure of the IHF Men’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments to allocate the six (6) quota places for the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

Photo: Paris 2024