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The 2027 World Championship will definitely take place without Manuel Zehnder (right) and his Swiss national team colleagues.
Picture: Keystone
The Swiss handball team will definitely only be able to watch the 2027 World Championships as spectators. After missing out on qualification, national coach Andy Schmid's team has been left empty-handed when the wildcards are awarded.
The International Handball Federation (IHF) announced on Tuesday that Turkey and Saudi Arabia have been awarded wildcards for the tournament in Germany. A total of 13 nations had applied for a wild card.
Switzerland had been awarded a wild card for the 2025 World Championship after failing to make the play-offs against Slovenia. This time, Italy was the last stop in the play-offs.
This will be Turkey's first ever appearance at the World Cup, while Saudi Arabia will be making their eleventh World Cup appearance.
The group draw for the tournament from January 13 to 31 will take place on Wednesday. The games will be played in Kiel, Hanover, Magdeburg, Stuttgart, Cologne and Munich.
09.06.2026, 15:23
09.06.2026, 15:44
