Niklas Landin Jacobsen

Niklas Landin Jacobsen (born 19 December 1988) is a Danish handballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Aalborg Håndbold.^[1] Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in the history of handball,^[2][3] he is a two-time IHF World Player of the Year (2019 and 2021)—the first player ever to win it consecutively and the only goalkeeper to claim the award twice.^[4][5] He served as captain of the Denmark national team from 2012 until his international retirement in 2024.^[6][7]

Niklas Landin Jacobsen
Landin with THW Kiel in 2018
Personal information
Born	(1988-12-19) 19 December 1988 (age 37) Søborg, Denmark
Nationality	Danish
Height	2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Playing position	Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club	Aalborg Håndbold
Number	1
Youth career
Years	Team
1991–2004	KFUM København
2004–2005	GOG
2005–2006	KFUM København
Senior clubs
Years	Team
2006–2010	GOG Svendborg TGI
2010–2012	Bjerringbro-Silkeborg
2012–2015	Rhein-Neckar Löwen
2015–2023	THW Kiel
2023–	Aalborg Håndbold
National team 1
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2008–2024	Denmark	283	(13)
Medal record Olympic Games 2016 Rio de Janeiro Team 2024 Paris Team 2020 Tokyo Team World Championship 2019 Germany/Denmark 2021 Egypt 2023 Poland/Sweden 2011 Sweden 2013 Spain European Championship 2012 Serbia 2014 Denmark 2024 Germany 2022 Hungary/Slovakia Youth World Championship 2007 Bahrain Junior World Championship 2009 Egypt 2007 Macedonia Junior European Championship 2008 Romania
1 National team caps and goals correct as of 11 August 2024

He is a European Champion (2012) and helped Denmark win Olympic gold in 2016 and 2024, silver in 2020, and three consecutive World Championships (2019, 2021, 2023).^[8] He made his senior international debut on 28 October 2008.

Club career

GOG Svendborg TGI

In 2006 Landin signed with GOG Svendborg TGI. The club declared bankruptcy early 2010, allowing players to leave.^[9]

Bjerringbro-Silkeborg

He joined Bjerringbro-Silkeborg mid-2010 and stayed until 2012.^[10] In the 2010-11 season the team reached to final of the Danish Championship, despite a lackluster 6th place in the regular season. They lost the final to AG København 2-0 in matches.^[11] In the following season, they reached the final again, but once again they lost to AG København.

Rhein-Neckar Löwen

Landin moved to Rhein-Neckar Löwen for the 2012–13 season on a three-year deal and won the 2012–13 EHF Cup.^[12]

THW Kiel

Signed by THW Kiel in August 2014 for the 2015 start, he won the 2015 Super Cup, DHB-Pokal (2017, 2019, 2022), EHF Cup (2019), Bundesliga (2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23), and EHF Champions League (2020).^[13][14] He was named German Handballer of the Year in 2021.^[15] From 2018, his brother Magnus Landin also played for Kiel.^[16]

Aalborg Håndbold

Returned to Denmark in 2023, winning the Danish league in 2024 and 2025, the Danish Cup in 2025, and reaching the 2024 EHF Champions League final (lost 30–31 to Barcelona).^[17][18][19]

After his retirement from the Danish national team in 2024, he did however announce that he would potentially be ready to be called up for the 2026 European Men's Handball Championship in case of an injury crisis.^[20]

Honours

• EHF Champions League:  Gold 2020;  Silver 2024
• EHF Cup:  Gold 2013, 2019
• German Championship:  Gold 2019/20, 2020/21, 2022/23
• DHB-Pokal:  Gold 2017, 2019, 2022
• German Super Cup:  Gold 2015
• Danish Championship:  Gold 2007, 2024, 2025;  Silver 2011, 2012;  Bronze 2010
• Danish Handball Cup:^[21]  Gold 2025;  Silver 2007, 2008

Individual awards

• IHF World Player of the Year – Men: 2019,^[22] 2021^[23]
• All-Star Goalkeeper – Olympics: 2016,^[24] 2024^[25]
• All-Star Goalkeeper – World Championship: 2013,^[26] 2019
• All-Star Goalkeeper – European Championship: 2014^[27]
• All-Star Goalkeeper – Youth World Championship: 2007
• Danish Player of the Year: 2012, 2014, 2020
• Danish National Team Player of the Year: 2014, 2020, 2021
• Handball-Bundesliga Best Goalkeeper: 2014, 2015, 2017
• All-Star Goalkeeper – EHF Champions League: 2014, 2016, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Handball Player of the Year in Germany: 2021
• EHF Excellence Awards Best Goalkeeper: 2022/23

Personal life

Landin is the older brother of Magnus Landin Jacobsen, who also plays for the Danish national team and THW Kiel (2018–2023).^[16]