Kick-off times for the 2027 Handball World Championship confirmed

Plans for the 30th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship 2027 in Germany are continuing to take shape: the match times for the tournament, which runs from 13 to 31 January 2027, have been finalised. This means that, seven months before the tournament begins, fans already know the times at which the matches will be played across the six World Championship venues: Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel, Magdeburg, Hanover and Cologne.

All three of the German national handball team’s group stage matches in Munich will be played during prime time.

The match times for the German national team have also been finalised: national coach Alfred Gislason’s side will face Tunisia in their opening World Championship match in Munich on 13 January, Uruguay on 15 January and Serbia on 17 January. All three matches will start at 8.30 pm at the SAP Garden.

“Now that the kick-off times have been confirmed, the 2027 World Championship is becoming even more tangible for many fans. The draw has already sparked anticipation for the sporting clashes; now visitors can start making concrete plans for their own World Championship experiences. The fact that the German national team will play all its group stage matches during prime time creates an attractive setting for fans both in the arena and in front of their screens,” says Mark Schober, Chief Executive of the German Handball Federation.

The opening day of the tournament on 13 January holds a special place. The first match of the tournament kicks off at 5.30 pm, followed by the official opening ceremony, with the German team playing their opening match that evening. On the remaining group stage match days, the matches will generally kick off at 6.00 pm and 8.30 pm. The group stage will take place from 13 to 19 January in Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel and Magdeburg.

In the main round, which will be held in Cologne and Hanover, kick-off times are scheduled for 3.30 pm, 6.00 pm and 8.30 pm. Should Germany qualify for the main round and the quarter-finals in Cologne, Alfred Gislason’s team will also play at 8.30 pm on their match days.

One exception is Group D of the preliminary round, which includes France. The matches in Group D will kick off either at 18:00 or 18:30, or at 20:30 / 21:00. The match times will be finalised following consultation with the French rights holders. The same applies – provided France qualifies – to the matches in Main Round Group II in Cologne (3.30 pm / 4.00 pm, 6.00 pm / 6.30 pm, 8.30 pm / 9.00 pm).

An overview of the kick-off times for all matches is available in the official fixture list for the 2027 Handball World Championship. The IHF reserves the right to amend the fixture list at any time.

At present, tickets are still available in particular for Group E matches in Kiel featuring Sweden and Norway, as well as for the non-German main round matches in Hanover and Cologne. Current availability can be viewed in the ticket shop. New allocations will be released during the third ticket phase, starting on 4 September. It is not expected that any new tickets for match days involving the German team will go on sale at that time.

The 30th IHF Men’s Handball World Championship will take place from 13 to 31 January 2027 in Munich, Stuttgart, Kiel, Magdeburg, Hanover and Cologne. The matches will be broadcast in Germany by ProSieben and Dyn. Tickets, the fixture list and further information about the tournament are available at www.handball2027.com

Photocredit: DHB / Lars Neumann

Match Schedule