Croatia learns World Championship opponents, begins defense of silver

Croatia's men's national handball team has learned its opponents for the first stage of the 2027 World Championship. The draw, held in Munich, placed the current silver medalists in Group C alongside Spain, Chile, and Turkey, the latter receiving one of two wildcard invitations.

The championship is scheduled to take place from January 13 to 31, 2027, with Germany as the primary host. Croatia's opening match is set for January 14 against Chile, to be played at the SAP Garden in Munich. They will then face Turkey two days later, concluding their first-phase group play against Spain on January 18.

Following the initial group stage, the top three teams from each of the eight groups will advance to a second phase, forming four new groups. Croatia's potential path could lead them to Cologne, where Group C will merge with Group D (comprising Argentina, France, Brazil, and Kuwait) to form Group II. Matches in this phase are scheduled from January 21 to 23.

Should Croatia advance, the knockout stage, including quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals, will all be held in Cologne. The defending champions, Denmark, who are also the current European and Olympic titleholders, will be aiming to retain their world crown.