How to qualify in Handball
How handball teams qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics
Handball at Los Angeles 2028 has a men's and a women's tournament of 12 teams each, 14 players per team.
Each tournament fills in three steps:
- The world champions of 2027 qualify: men's World Championship in Germany (13 to 31 January 2027), women's in Hungary (1 to 19 December 2027).
- Four continental winners: Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas (one combined event for North, Central and South America, at the 2027 Pan American Games). Oceania has no event of its own; its teams play in Asia's.
- Six more from three Olympic qualifying tournaments of four teams each in 2028 (women 28 February to 5 March, men 3 to 9 April). The top two in each qualify.
The United States as host takes the twelfth place.
For India, the Asian qualifying event is the way in: a win there means a place at LA28. The men's Asian event is in Qatar and the women's in Japan, dates to be confirmed. A good finish without winning can also lead to a qualifying tournament place, depending on how Asia's teams did at the World Championship.
The places
| Men | Women | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| World champions | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Continental winners | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| Olympic qualifying tournaments | 6 | 6 | 12 |
| Host country | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Teams | 12 | 12 | 24 |
Places go to the country. Players must be at least 16 by their first match and eligible for their national team under the IHF's eligibility and transfer rules.
Continental events
| Men | Women | |
|---|---|---|
| Europe | European Championship, 13 to 30 January 2028 | European Championship, 3 to 20 December 2026 |
| Asia (with Oceania) | Qatar, autumn 2027 (to be confirmed) | Japan, date to be confirmed |
| Africa | African Championship, Egypt, January 2028 | Angola, date to be confirmed |
| Americas | Pan American Games, Peru, 16 July to 1 August 2027 | Pan American Games, Peru, 16 July to 1 August 2027 |
If the world champions or the United States win a continental event, the next team there takes the place. An Oceania team that finishes fifth or better in Asia's event goes to the World Championship.
The qualifying tournaments
| Tournament 1 | Tournament 2 | Tournament 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From the World Championship | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| From the World Championship | 7th | 6th | 5th |
| From continental events | 3rd-best continent | 2nd-best continent | Best continent |
| From continental events | 4th-best continent | Best continent | 2nd-best continent |
"Best continent" means the continent whose teams did best at the World Championship. It gets two places: its best two teams at its continental event not yet qualified. The second, third and fourth continents get one each. The sixth place goes to Oceania's best team if an Oceania team finished 8th to 12th at the World Championship; otherwise to the second-best continent.
If a team placed 2nd to 7th at the World Championship has already qualified through its continent, the 8th-placed team takes its place in the grid and the others move up.
The host country
The United States qualifies one team per gender. It had to confirm by 31 July 2026. An unused host place would go to the continent of the world champions, to the best team there not yet qualified.
Places turned down
The next eligible team at the same event.
Dates
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| 3 to 20 December 2026 | Women's European Championship |
| 13 to 31 January 2027 | Men's World Championship, Germany |
| To be confirmed | Women's Asian (Japan) and African (Angola) events; men's Asian event (Qatar) |
| 16 July to 1 August 2027 | Pan American Games, Peru (men and women) |
| 1 to 19 December 2027 | Women's World Championship, Hungary |
| 13 to 30 January 2028 | Men's European Championship |
| January 2028 | Men's African Championship, Egypt |
| 28 February to 5 March 2028 | Women's Olympic qualifying tournaments |
| 3 to 9 April 2028 | Men's Olympic qualifying tournaments |
| 26 June 2028 | Entries deadline for the Games |
| 14 to 30 July 2028 | LA28 Olympic Games |
Where the document disagrees with itself. Section D puts the men's 2028 European Championship in Spain, Portugal and Switzerland; the timeline says Germany.
Where to follow it
ihf.info publishes results and qualified teams.