IHF World Men's Field Handball Championship

IHF World Men's Field Handball Championship was the world championship of field handball and was organized by the International Handball Federation (IHF) in the period 1948–1966. The first edition was organized by the International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF) the predecessor of the IHF. In total, seven editions were held. West Germany and East Germany did not participate in the 1948 championship due to the end of World War II.

IHF World Men's Field Handball Championship

Sport	Field handball
Founded	1938
Founder	International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF)
First season	1938
No. of teams	6
Continent	International (IHF)
Most recent champion(s)	West Germany (3rd title)
Most titles	West Germany (3 titles)

Tournament

Year	Host Country		Gold medal game				Bronze medal game
			Gold	Score	Silver		Bronze	Score	Fourth place
1938[1] Details	Germany		Germany	23–0	Switzerland		Hungary	10–2	Sweden
1948[2] Details	France		Sweden	11–4	Denmark		Switzerland	21–4	France
1952[3] Details	Switzerland		West Germany	19–8	Sweden		Switzerland	12–10	Austria
1955[4] Details	West Germany		West Germany	25–13	Switzerland		Czechoslovakia	13–10	Sweden
1959[5] Details	Austria		Germany1	14–11	Romania		Sweden	18–9	Austria
1963[6] Details	Switzerland		East Germany	14–7	West Germany		Switzerland	10–6	Poland
1966[7] Details	Austria		West Germany	Round-robin (15–15)	East Germany		Austria	Round-robin (19–15)	Poland

¹: Germany sent a united team composed of players from the GDR and the FRG.

Medal table

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	West Germany	3	1	0	4
2	Germany	2	0	0	2
3	Sweden	1	1	1	3
4	East Germany	1	1	0	2
5	Switzerland	0	2	3	5
6	Denmark	0	1	0	1
	Romania	0	1	0	1
8	Austria	0	0	1	1
	Czechoslovakia	0	0	1	1
	Hungary	0	0	1	1
Totals (10 entries)		7	7	7	21

National team appearances in the IHF World Championship

Main article: National team appearances in the World Men's Field Handball Championship

Best result of participants from Europe, with Israel

Best result for discontinued states

USA	Best result for discontinued states (Germany)

Comprehensive team results by tournament

Source: IHF official site.^[8]

Legend

• 1st – Champions
• 2nd – Runners-up
• 3rd – Third place
• 4th – Fourth place
• 5-10th – Fifth to tenth place
• IR – Intermediary round
• PR – Preliminary round
•  ••  — Qualified but withdrew
•  •  — Did not qualify
•  ×  — Did not enter
•    — Hosts
•  flag  — Part of corresponding country.

For each tournament, the number of teams in each finals tournament (in brackets) are shown.

Team	1938 (10)	1948 (12)	1952 (10)	1955 (17)	1959 (7)	1963 (8)	1966 (6)	Total
Austria		IR	4th	7th	4th	5th	3rd	6
Belgium	×	PR	•	PR	•	×	×	2
Czechoslovakia	6th	×	×	3rd	×	×	×	2
Denmark	8th	2nd	5th	PR	6th	×	×	5
Finland	×	PR	×	PR	×	×	×	2
France	×	4th	PR	8th	•	×	×	3
/ (West) Germany	1st	×	1st	1st	1st	2nd	1st	6
East Germany		×	×	×		1st	2nd	2
Hungary	3rd	PR	×	PR	7th	×	×	4
Israel	×	×	×	×	×	7th	×	1
Luxembourg	10th	PR	•	PR	×	×	×	3
Netherlands	9th	IR	6th	PR	×	6th	6th	5
Norway	×	×	•	PR	×	×	×	1
Poland	7th	IR	×	×	•	4th	4th	4
Portugal	×	IR	•	PR	×	×	×	2
Romania	5th	×	×	×	2nd	×	×	2
Saar			PR	6th				2
Spain	×	×	PR	PR	••	×	×	2
Sweden	4th	1st	2nd	4th	3rd	×	×	5
Switzerland	2nd	3rd	3rd	2nd	5th	3rd	5th	7
United States	×	×	×	×	×	8th	×	1
Yugoslavia	×	×	•	5th	•	×	×	1

See also

• IHF World Women's Field Handball Championship
• IHF World Men's Handball Championship