The 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe promises to be one of the most exciting editions of the compeittion, if not the most exciting, with 12 teams ready to deliver high quality handball over the next five days in the Dammam Sports Hall.

Each of the sides earned their right to be here throughout their domestic league or in continental competitions, therefore some of the best teams in the world will be present at the start, with stars ready to deliver epic performances on their way to the trophy.

There will be plenty of players starring in the 20 matches scheduled at the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe, but we have picked seven which can really change the outcome of a game by themselves, helped by an exciting cast of teammates.

Dika Mem (Barca)

A world champion, an Olympic champion and a three-time winner of the IHF Men’s Super Globe, Mem has been one of the top players for some years now, despite being only 26 years old. The French right back possesses an exciting mix of athletic prowess and a strong shot and his performances have been better and better this year.

With the most decorated team in the history of the IHF Men’s Super Globe, Barca, losing some crucial players in Luka Cindric and Ludovic Fabregas, as well as missing centre back Domen Makuc through injury, Mem has been getting more and more responsibility and has not disappointed so far.

If Barca are to bounce back after two losses in the final against SC Magdeburg, they will need Mem at his full strength, as he showed this season he is the top dog in the Spanish side’s arsenal, with 40 goals in the EHF Champions League Men.

Petar Nenadic (Khaleej)

The Serbian left back has been an integral part of Füchse Berlin’s success in the IHF Men’s Super Globe in 2015 and 2016, as Nenadic delivered an eight-goal performance in the semi-final against Barca in 2015 and was the team’s top scorer in the final against Montpellier one season later.

Now, at 37 years old, Nenadic embarked on his first experience outside Europe and signed for Saudi champions Khaleej Club, where he will mark his return to the IHF Men’s Super Globe for the first time since 2016. Seven years might be a long time, but Nenadic proved in his last years playing for PSG and Veszprem that he can still do it all and can be a strong weapon in Khaleej’s arsenal, as the Saudi side aims once again to surprise some big names, after winning against SL Benfica last season.

Mathias Gidsel (Füchse Berlin)

Füchse Berlin’s return to the IHF Men’s Super Globe will also mark the debut in the competition for one of the rising stars of handball, if not one of the most established players in the sport. Mathias Gidsel has taken the world by storm in the last years, underlined by the MVP plaudits received at the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Gidsel, the top scorer of the 2023 IHF Men’s World Championship, with 60 goals, picked Füchse Berlin in 2022 and he has already secured a trophy, the EHF European League Men, this summer, and will aim for more silverware in Dammam. His underlining form is excellent, as proven during this season in the Bundesliga, where is he is currently the third best scorer, with 67 goals.

Translating that form to the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe is ensured to help Füchse create some serious trouble to more experienced sides, as the German side is surely aiming for their third crown in the competition.

Ahmed Khairy (Al-Ahly)

Al-Ahly were the only non-European side to make it to the semi-finals by winning their group in the previous edition, with their win against SL Benfica writing a piece of history for the Egyptian powerhouse, which clinched their maiden win against European opposition at the IHF Men’s Super Globe.

Centre back Khairy was instrumental in that success, being the top assists provider in the competition, by far, with 24 in four matches, an average of six assists per match. This time around, Al-Ahly will face a more difficult task, likely needing a win against Barca to progress to the knock-out phase.

But with Khairy and plenty of Egyptian talent around him, Al-Ahly can provide the needed excitement, especially with fans travelling from Cairo and all around Egypt to provide some much-needed support in this daunting task.

Alex Dujshebaev (Industria Kielce)

It seems like an eternity since Alex Dusjhebaev first appeared on the big stages, but since that moment, the right back has become one of the most clutch players in handball, helping Industria Kielce become a perennial contender in European handball. Last autumn, Dujshebaev and Kielce finished in third place at the IHF Men’s Super Globe, but the right back hopes to bring some glory to the Polish powerhouse with a better finish this time around.

Dujshebaev might come after an injury and he will likely not be thrown into battle from the start, but his talent, intelligence and experience might come in handy for Kielce, which will aim as high as possible, after qualifying for the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe as the runners-up in the EHF Champions League Men.

Federico Gastón Fernández (San Fernando Handball)

At 34 years old, Federico Fernández will finally make his debut at the IHF Men’s Super Globe, after representing the national team of Argentina at the IHF Men’s World Championship and at the Olympic Games. With over 500 goals for the national team, Fernández is a reliable left wing and one of the most decorated players in the history of the team.

Now, Fernández will be alongside his brothers, Sebastian and Juan Pablo, at the start of the 2023 IHF Men’s Super Globe when San Fernando Handball will become the first Argentinian team in history to take part in the competition, after winning the 2023 South and Central American Men’s Club Championship.

Omar Ingi Magnusson (SC Magdeburg)

Magdeburg are one of the top teams in the history of the IHF Men’s Super Globe, with 11 wins in 12 matches, a winning percentage of 91.1% and two trophies under their name. Both trophies came with some serious help from the Icelandic right back, one of the most consistent scorers in handball over the last years, in spite of his injuries.

In the last edition, Magnusson, scored 28 times, but now his prowess is even bigger, due to the fact that the reigning champions in the IHF Men’s Super Globe and the EHF Champions League Men lost Kay Smits. Therefore, Magnusson, who has been getting in better shape over the last weeks, is even more focal to Bennet Wiegert’s side, after hitting 80% of his shots in the previous edition.