If you play handball or love the sport as much as I do, you probably have your own opinion regarding who the best handball player of all time is. If you’re new to the sport and would like to know a few legends of the sport, you’ve come to the right place.
5 Best Handball Players of All Time:
- Nikola Karabatić
- Ivano Balic
- Mikkel Hansen
- Magnus Wislander
- Kiril Lazarov
Want to know more about each player and their accomplishments?
Nikola Karabatić
Nikola Karabatić is the best handball player there has ever been. His team and individual achievements are so vast that it’s hard to imagine anyone ever matching his level of excellence. He has won every award with every team he ever played on.
An argument can be made that some other players have a flashier style or a better goal-scoring record, but the truth is no one has won more than Nikola.
There has been no one as dominant as Nikola Karabatić in the history of handball. During his 20-year career, he has won 58 team trophies in France, Germany, and Spain. That’s an average of 3 trophies per year!
Outstanding club achievements:
- 12 French league trophies
- 4 German league trophies
- 2 Spanish league trophies
- 3 time Champions league winner
- 2 times Super Globe champion
His team failed to win their league only twice in his 20-year career.
International awards with France:
- 2 time Olympic gold medalist
- 4 time world champion
- 3 time European champion
Let’s not forget about his individual awards neither:
- 3 IHF World Player of the Year awards: 2007, 2014, 2016
- 2 World Championships MVPs: 2011, 2017
- 2 Euro Championships MVPs: 2008, 2014
- Player of year in France: 2010, 2013, 2017
- Player of the year in Germany: 2007, 2008
The list of Nikola Karabatić’s accomplishments and accolades is seemingly endless. You can find the complete list of his team and individual achievements here.
2. Ivano Balić
Ivano Balić is a Croatian handball player who is known for his fast-paced attacking and goal-scoring ability. He is one of the most famous and decorated handball players of all time.
Ivano is a fan favorite because of his natural ability to score goals in a unique and exciting way. Born to play handball, he is the son of two former handball professionals, Stjepanka and Žarko Balić.
He brought new audiences to the game of handball on both the national and club level. He is best known for winning 5 Most Valuable Player awards in 5 consecutive international tournaments while playing for Croatia. Even though Croatia finished in 5th place at the 2007 World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany, he was chosen as the tournament’s MVP.
Outstanding club achievements:
- 4 Croatian league trophies
- 5 Croatian cup trophies
- 1 Spanish league trophy
- 1 Spanish cup trophy
Ivano Balić didn’t play on the greatest teams in the history of handball but his contribution to his Croatian club and national teams can not be overlooked.
International awards with Croatia:
- 2004 Olympic Champion
- 2003 World Champion
- 2 time runner up in European Championship
Individual accomplishments:
- 2 IHF World Player of the Year awards: 2003, 2006
- Best Male Handball Player Ever – fans poll
- 5 MVP awards at 5 consecutive international tournaments
Want to know more about Ivano Balić? You can read about his career and accomplishments here!
3. Mikkel Hansen
Mikkel Hansen is a 3-time IHF World Player of the year and one of the most decorated handball players on both the club and national level. A conversation about the best player in the world today is hardly complete without this Danish superstar.
He is one of few athletes that can compete with Nikola Karabatić accomplishments. This all-time great wins trophies and medals for club and country every year.
What makes Mikkel Hansen such as standout star is the position that he plays. As a left-back, he contributes as much on offense as a center-back or pivot!
Outstanding club achievements:
- 8 French league trophies
- 4 French cup trophies
- 3 Danish league trophies
- 3 Danish cup trophies
- Spanish cup trophy
- Champions League runner-up
In total, Mikkel Hansen has won 30 club trophies over his 16-year playing career. That’s 2 major awards per year!
International awards with Denmark:
- 2016 Olympic gold medal
- 2 time World Champion: 2019, 2021
- 2012 European Champion
He is the current Most Valuable Player of the World Champion Danish national team.
Individual accomplishments:
- 3 IHF World Player of the Year awards: 2011, 2015, 2018
- 3 World Championships MVPs: 2013, 2019, 2021
- MVP of the 2016 Olympic Games
- MVP of Danish League in 2016
- 2 time top scorer of the World Championship: 2011, 2019
Mikkel Hansen has too many awards to list here. His list of accomplishments goes on and on. Click here to learn more about one of the greatest handball players of all time.
4. Magnus Wislander
Magnus Wislander is the best Swedish handball player of all time without a doubt one of the greatest talents the game has ever seen. He played in a different era with fewer tournaments and trophies up for grabs, but his career accomplishments continue to rival the modern greats.
What’s most impressive about Magnus Wislander is his winning record. He led his teams to 12 league trophies in 18 years winning multiple cup and tournament trophies along the way.
Magnus also had a fantastic international career scoring over 1185 goals in 384 games for Sweden. He was named the best handball player of the 20th century by the IHF in 2000.
Outstanding club achievements:
- 5 Swedish league trophies
- 7 German league trophies
- 3 time German cup Champion
- 2 time Supercup Champion
Magnus Wislander dominated his era of handball like no one else. Trophies and medals were a constant in his long and storied club career.
International awards with Sweden:
- 6 medals at World Championships: 2 gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze
- 2 time European Champion: 1994, 1998, 2000, 2002
- 3 time Olympic silver medalist
- Most goals scored for Swedish national team: 1185
He established Sweden as a handball powerhouse by winning medals and trophies at almost every international event thought his career. The last time Sweden won a gold medal was with Magnus Wislander.
Individual accomplishments:
- IHF World Player of the Year: 1990
- IHF Best player of the 20th century
- MVP of Euro 2002
- MVP of Swedish league: 1986 and 1990
- MVP of German league: 2000
Handball is packed with star players from different countries, and they owe a great deal of gratitude to Magnus Wislander for paving the way. If you want to learn more about this legend, click here.
5. Kiril Lazarov
Kiril Lazarov is one of the greatest handball goal scores of all time. The consistency of his goal-scoring ability can not be understated.
He holds the record for most goals scored at a single Handball World Cup tournament with 92. That’s not all, On 4 October 2015, he became the first player to score 1000 goals in the Handball Champions League. Kiril Lazarov holds the all-time champions league goal-scoring record to this day.
As a Northern Macedonian, he never got to achieve the same type of international success as the other plyers on this list, but he managed to score a record-shattering 1443 goals in just 203 games.
Outstanding club achievements:
- 2 Macedonian league trophies
- 7 Croatian league trophies
- 5 Hungarian league trophies
- 3 Spanish league trophies
- 2015 Champions league winner
Kiril has won an astonishing 52 trophies during his 26-year club career. He is overshadowed by the previous players on this list as they played most of their careers in the most competitive leagues in the world.
Individual accomplishments:
- The highest finish: 5th at World Cup 2012
- Most goals scored at a single Handball World Cup tournament: 92
- Most goals scored at a single Handball Euro Championship: 61
- Voted as best right back of the decade in 2020
His popularity, outstanding goal-scoring ability, and dedication to the sport make Kiril Lazarov one of the greatest handball players of all time. Read more about this legend here!
Want to Know More About Handball?
If you want to learn all the rules of the game, I’ve put together an article with everything you need to know. It’s called Handball Rules, How to Play Handball. The guide is equipped with a bullet point list of all the rules you need to know to play the game. Regardless of if you play indoors or at a beach, the same rules apply.
There, you’ll find a downloadable PDF of all the rules and regulations. Feel free to download my guide and share it with your teammate and organization.
Keep playing this amazing game, and always remember to be competitive and have fun.