The road to Germany 2027 reaches its defining moment this week. From 13 to 17 May, the final ten European berths at the 2027 IHF Men's World Championship will be decided across the continent, as ten two-legged play-offs bring months of anticipation to a head. The first legs take place on 13 and 14 May, with the return matches following on 16 and 17 May, and every single aggregate tie carries the same reward: a place on handball's biggest stage when Germany hosts the 30th edition of the IHF Men’s World Championship from 13 to 31 January 2027.

20 of Europe's most competitive senior national teams enter the fray in Phase 3, having come through the earlier rounds of qualification or having qualified directly via their finish at the Men's EHF EURO 2026 in January. Six European nations - Germany, Denmark, Croatia, Iceland, Portugal and Sweden - already hold their World Championship places, with the first two sides being already qualified as the hosts and the reigning champions respectively, while the other four earned their tickets by finishing in the top 6 of the continental competition. These ten home-and-away ties will complete the continent's representation in Germany.

The bracket throws up some mouth-watering clashes. France, ranked among the world's finest, face Czechia in what looks like a tie the five-time world champions will be expected to navigate well, as new coach Talant Dujshebaev will make his official debut on France’s bench, after having already coached in two friendly matches against Spain. 

Italy versus Switzerland is a battle of neighbouring nations who know each other well, and both will fancy their chances over two legs. While Italy have qualified only twice for the competition, in 1999 and 2025, their last appearance saw them finishing 16th, as the surprise package in the 2025 ediiton. On the other hand, Switzerland ended up 16th in 2021 and 11th in 2025, also finishing 11th at the EHF EURO 2026, being one of the teams on the rise in Europe, with Andy Schmid at the helm.

Another intriguing tie of the round is the Faroe Islands against Bosnia Herzegovina, a match-up of contrasting styles and contrasting trajectories. The Faroe Islands, who have made dramatic progress in recent years, winning their first senior EHF EURO match this January and claiming bronze at the 2025 IHF Men's Junior World Championship, come into the tie with genuine belief, as they are aiming for their debut at the IHF Men’s World Championship. Bosnia and Herzegovina, by contrast, carry the experience of professional players competing across Europe's top clubs, and Peter Bredsdorff-Larsen's young side will need everything in their arsenal, particularly the fortress of a home second leg, to make history and qualify for their first-ever World Championship.

Slovakia against North Macedonia and Serbia against Hungary offer two ties where the margin between the sides could be thin across 120 minutes of handball. Norway are favourites against Türkiye, though the latter side has grown considerably as a handball nation in recent seasons, and secured their ticket with a last-gasp win against Romania, coming back from five goals behind in the first leg. However, Norway will be overwhelming favourites in this tie.

Austria versus Poland looks, on the surface, as a balanced tie, while the Netherlands look for their third consecutive appearance in the World Championship, when they take on Greece. Montenegro versus Slovenia promises to be a tight, physical contest between two sides with World Championship ambitions.

The most geographically unusual fixture of the round takes the action thousands of kilometres from Europe. The tie between Spain and Israel will be played in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with the Argentine capital serving as a neutral venue for both legs, on 14 and 16 May. Spain, who finished 11th at the Men's EHF EURO 2026, begin as clear favourites, aiming to kickstart an upward trend, after their worst-ever finish at the IHF Men’s World Championship, when they ended up 18th in 2025.

European Qualification Phase 3 – schedule (13/14 and 16/17 May)

Slovakia vs North Macedonia
Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Faroe Islands
Czechia vs France
Switzerland vs Italy
Montenegro vs Slovenia
Serbia vs Hungary
Spain vs Israel
Greece vs Netherlands
Norway vs Türkiye 
Austria vs Poland