Following two promising friendly matches against Spain, Talant Dujshebaev will have the chance to put his France team to the test in high-stakes fixtures. On the agenda is a crucial two-legged tie against the Czech Republic for a place at the 2027 World Championship. The first leg will take place in Brno on Wednesday 13 May 2026 (20:00), followed by the return leg in Orléans on Sunday 17 May (17:00). Wallem Peleka and Karl Konan will be making the trip, but not Elohim Prandi, who has withdrawn and remained in Paris to recover from injury.
Kamil will also be playing in the qualifying play-offs as Poland, travel to Austria on 13 May to set themselves up for the return leg in Poland on 17 May. The Poles are aiming to reach the finals of the world’s top competition for the fourth consecutive time.
An emerging power in European handball, the Netherlands are aiming to qualify for a third consecutive World Championship for the first time in their history. To achieve this goal, Luc Steins and his teammates will need to overcome Greece, with the first leg scheduled for 13 May in Athens (18:00), and the return leg in Amsterdam on 17 May (15:00).
Winter signing Simen Lyse is the last of our players to feature in the World Championship play-offs, with Norway set to play a two-legged tie against Turkey on 13 and 16 May. Runners-up in the competition in 2017 and 2019, the Norwegians are hoping to build on that performance in January, following several disappointing tournaments in recent years. To do so, they will need to overcome Türkiye, a country that has never qualified for the World Championship but who will enjoy home-ground advantage in the return leg.
Sixth in the last European Championship, Sweden have secured direct qualification for the World Championship and can therefore focus fully on their preparations. During this international break, Sebastian Karlsson and his teammates will face Croatia, who have also qualified, in a two-legged friendly series on 13 and 16 May.
A la faveur de son excellent parcours lors de l'Euro 2026, terminé à la troisième place, la Croatie a déjà le regard tourné vers le Mondial en Allemagne, après sa finale surprise en 2025. Mateo Maraš affrontera son coéquipier parisien Sebastian Karlsson dans deux rencontres de préparation contre la Suède, les 13 et 16 mai. Les deux formations s'étaient affrontées pendant l'Euro, avec une victoire des Suédois (33-25).
Vainqueurs d'une quatrième Coupe d'Afrique des Nations consécutive en janvier au Rwanda, les Egyptiens sont qualifiés pour le Mondial et ont l'ambition d'y briller. Yahia Omar et ses coéquipiers auront l'occasion de déjà parfaire leur automatismes avec une double rencontre amicale contre l'Islande à domicile lors de cette trêve, les 13 et 15 mai.