The Croatia national handball team represents Croatia in international men's team handball competitions and friendly matches. The handball team is controlled by the Croatian Handball Federation (HRS).
The EHF Champions League is the most important club handball competition for men's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations. The competition is organised every year by EHF. The official name for the men's competition is the EHF Champions League Men.
The France national handball team is supervised by the French Handball Federation, and represents France in international matches. It is the first handball team to have held all three titles twice, and the only national team in its sport to hold six world titles and a total of eleven medals at the World Men's Handball Championship. With a total of five medals, including three gold in 2008, 2012 and 2021, France is also the most successful Handball team at the Summer Olympics. As of January 2024, they are the defending Olympic and European Champions.
Ivano Balić is a Croatian former professional handballer who is currently part of the coaching staff at RK Split. Renowned for his speed, creativity, movement and charisma as a player, Balić won the 2003 World Championship and the Olympic gold medal in 2004 with the Croatian national team. He also won two World Championship silver medals, two silver and one bronze European Championship medals, and one Olympic bronze medal (2012) with the national team. At club level, Balić won thirteen titles during his career playing in Croatia, Spain and Germany.
Sport in Croatia has significant role in Croatian culture, and many local sports clubs as well as the Croatian national squads enjoy strong followings in the country. The most enduring sport by far in Croatia is football, and is played on amateur and professional levels amongst all age groups across the entire country. Several other major team sports are handball, basketball and water polo, with clubs in all parts of Croatia. Ice hockey is another popular team sport, namely in the Croatian interior. The most popular individual sports in Croatia are tennis, alpine skiing, and swimming, and to some extent table tennis and chess. Various amateur sport games are popular in Croatia, notably picigin.
Lars Roslyng Christiansen is a former Danish team handball player. He is European Champion, winning the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship and 2012 European Men's Handball Championship with the Danish national handball team. He was top scorer at the 2008 championship together with Nikola Karabatic and Ivano Balić, and was also voted into the 2008 All-star team.
Nikola Karabatić is a French Serbo-Croatian born professional handball player for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team.
Daniel Narcisse is a retired French handball player and French international from 2000 to 2017. He is a double Olympic champion, quadruple World champion and triple European champion, one of the most awarded French team handball players with nine international titles. He progresses to the position of half-center or rear left.
Claude Onesta,, is a French handball coach, responsible of France's Men's handball team from 2001 to 2016.
Thierry Omeyer is a retired French handball goalkeeper.
Patrik Ćavar is a retired Croatian handball player. The legendary left wing played in Croatia for Mehanika Metković, Badel 1862 Zagreb and Agram Medveščak, in Bosnia and Herzegovina for Borac Banja Luka, in Spain for FC Barcelona, BM Granollers, and in France for Saint-Marcel Vernon.
Iztok Puc was a Croatian-Slovenian handball player, who was one of the world's top players of the 1980s and 1990s. During his career he played professionally for Borac Banja Luka, Zagreb, Celje and Prule 67. He won a total of 18 domestic trophies. He has won the elite EHF Champions League in 1992 and 1993, both times with Zagreb. He is one of very few handball players who represented three different countries at the Summer Olympics, winning bronze with Yugoslavia in 1988 and gold with Croatia in 1996. In 2009, he was named the best overall player in the history of Slovenian handball. After his death an award named in his honour was introduced and is awarded annually to the most promising young handball players in Slovenia and Croatia, given alternately one year to Slovenian and another year to Croatian player.
Kiril Lazarov is a retired Macedonian professional handball player and current coach of the North Macedonia national handball team and RK Alkaloid.
Nikola Prce is a Bosnian handball player for KH BESA FamGas and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.
Nikola Mektić is a Croatian professional tennis player who is a former world No. 1 in doubles.
Mate Pavić is a Croatian professional tennis player who is a former world No. 1 in doubles.
The 2017 IHF World Men's Handball Championship was the 25th event hosted by the International Handball Federation. The event was held in France from 11 to 29 January 2017.
Nikola Kalinić is a Serbian professional basketball player for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. He also represents the senior Serbian national basketball team internationally. He is a 2.03 m tall small forward and he is often considered as a premier player at his position within European basketball.
Ivan Karačić is a Bosnian handball player for Maccabi Rishon LeZion and the Bosnian national team.
Luka Stepančić is a Croatian professional handball player for SC Pick Szeged and the Croatian national team.
