After nine years off the podiums in their domestic competitions, 2019 IHF Super Globe hosts Al Wehda returned with a vengeance in the 2018/19 season winning all three trophies. 

In the Saudi league, they added the trophy to their two previous wins, in 1999/00 and 2009/10. It was also the third triumph in the Cup, after 2002/03 and 2004/05. In the Elite championship, Al Wehda clinched their first title in 2018/19. It was these performances that earned Al Wehda a place in what is their first Super Globe. 

“Our goal is to play the semi-finals of the world,” said a confident Marcus Oliveira. “Tata”, as he’s known in South America, has a lot of experience coaching Taubate at continental tournaments and at the IHF Men’s Super Globe. 

Since 2013, the team from the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil has participated in every Super Globe except the 2017 edition. Taubate’s best finish was 5th in 2018 – when after losing to Füchse Berlin in the quarter-finals, they defeated Sydney Uni and Hammamet in the 5-8 placement matches. This year, however, the team have bigger aspirations.

New York City Team Handball Club will be the first team ever from North America to compete in the IHF Men’s Super Globe. They earned their spot in Saudi Arabia by winning this year’s Men’s North American and the Caribbean Club Championship after defeating Los Angeles THC 34:32 and Handball Quebec 34:30.

Four IHF Men’s Super Globe trophies sit in FC Barcelona’s trophy hall. The Catalan club has won those in only five appearances. Now, the defending back-to-back champions are looking to bring a fifth trophy – and their third consecutive gold medal – home.

FC Barcelona, or Barça, have also won all ASOBAL titles since 2011 – a total of 26 in their history – and bronze at the 2018/19 EHF Champions League. Even with all the accolades, they never underestimate opponents.

Al-Duhail SC are making their IHF Men’s Super Globe debut, but that does not mean they do not have experience at this level. Prior to the 2017-2018 Qatari league season, Lekhwiya Sports Club – who competed at the 2016 IHF Super Globe – merged with El-Jaish Sports Club and was rebranded into Al-Duhail Sports Club. El-Jaish participated in four editions of the Super Globe between 2012 and 2015 including winning bronze in 2013. 

The 2019 edition will be Al-Mudhar’s second participation in the IHF Men’s Super Globe. They made their debut and only appearance in 2012 in Doha finishing 7th after beating Sydney Uni in the 7/8 placement match. At Saudi Arabia 2019, they will face New York City Team Handball Club from the United States in the quarter-final qualification.

“All teams at the Super Globe are strong, there are no easy teams. We know that New York City are the North American and the Caribbean champions and they surely have a positive spirit,” says line player Hassan Al-Janabi. 

Winning the 2016 Olympic gold medals in a memorable final against defending champions France was the highlight of the long and successful Danish handball history. Before, the Danes had won gold medals on continental stage in 2008 and 2012 and became World Championship finalists twice in 2011 and 2013. Now the team of Nicolaj Jakobsen aims for the first ever gold medal at a World Championship, as one of the hosts. The Danish squad combines a mixture of experienced world stars such as Mikkel Hansen, Lasse Svan and Niklas Landin and multiple young talents.

For the eight time straight since 1995, Tunisia qualified for a Men’s World Championship – their biggest success dates back to 2005, when they made it to the semi-final on home ground. Since then, Tunisia were best African nation at World Championships many times, but did not make it among the Top 8 anymore. After becoming African Champions twice in 2010 and 2012, they didn't make it two times in the continental finals, once against Egypt, once against Algeria.

With Christian Berge as Norway’s new head coach they’ve been rising like a Phoenix. After missing the 2015 World Championship, Norway made it to the EURO 2016 semi-final, where they unluckily were beaten by later-on champions Germany after extra time. By losing the bronze medal match against Croatia, they missed the direct qualification for the 2017 World Championship and then lost in the playoffs against Slovenia. Thanks to an IHF wildcard, they finally were part of the event in France - and made it to the final after leaving the Croats behind in the semi.

When the Olympic Games 2020 had been awarded to Tokyo in 2013, the Japanese Handball Federation immediately started their programme to have two competitive teams “on home ground”. They signed European coach Spaniard Carlos Antonio Ortega, but Japan changed their men’s coach after the 2017 World Championship and grabbed the chance to sign Dagur Sigurdsson for the “mission Olympic Games”. The Icelandic born had steered Germany to the European trophy in 2016 and German club Füchse Berlin to the EHF Cup trophy in 2015.