# IHF Beach Handball World Championships

The IHF Beach Handball World Championships is an international beach handball competition contested by the men's and women's national teams of the member federations/associations of International Handball Federation (IHF), the sport's global governing body.
The tournament was established in 2004, taking place every two years to allow continental tournaments to flourish without the burden of the World Championship qualifiers crowding the schedule every 12 months. The current tournament format lasts over approximately 6 days and involves 16 teams initially competing in four groups of four teams. The group winners and runners-up advance to a series of knock-out stages until the champion is crowned. The losing semi-finalists play each other in a play-off match to determine the third and fourth-placed teams.
The most recent edition was held in Kazan (Russia), and crowned Brazil as champions defeating defending champions Croatia by 2–0 in the final of men's category. Debutants Greece claimed title in women's category by defeating Norway in the final by 2–1.

## Men's tournament
### Summary

| Year | Host | Final | Final | Final | Bronze match | Bronze match | Bronze match |
| Year | Host | Gold | Score | Silver | Bronze | Score | Fourth place |
| 2004 Details | El Gouna | Egypt | 2–1 | Turkey | Russia | 2–1 | Croatia |
| 2006 Details | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 2–0 | Turkey | Spain | 2–1 | Egypt |
| 2008 Details | Cadiz | Croatia | 2–1 (p.s.) | Brazil | Serbia | 2–0 | Egypt |
| 2010 Details | Antalya | Brazil | 2–0 | Hungary | Turkey | 2–1 | Egypt |
| 2012 Details | Muscat | Brazil | 2–1 | Ukraine | Croatia | 2–0 | Russia |
| 2014 Details | Recife | Brazil | 2–1 | Croatia | Qatar | 2–1 | Denmark |
| 2016 Details | Budapest | Croatia | 2–0 | Brazil | Qatar | 2–1 | Hungary |
| 2018 Details | Kazan | Brazil | 2–0 | Croatia | Hungary | 2–0 | Sweden |
| 2020 Details | Pescara | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 Details | Crete | Croatia | 2–0 | Denmark | Brazil | 2–0 | Greece |
| 2024 Details | Pingtan Island | Croatia | 2–1 | Denmark | Portugal | 2–0 | Germany |

### Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Brazil | 5 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | Croatia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Egypt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Turkey | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Denmark | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 6 | Hungary | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 7 | Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Qatar | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 | Portugal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Russia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Serbia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 9 | Spain | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (12 entries) | Totals (12 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |

### Participating nations

| Nation | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2022 | 2024 | Years |
| Argentina | | | | | | 10th | | 11th | 11th | 8th | 4 |
| Australia | | | | 12th | 12th | 11th | 12th | 13th | | 14th | 6 |
| Bahrain | 7th | 6th | | | 9th | | 9th | | | | 4 |
| Brazil | 9th | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 3rd | 6th | 10 |
| China | | | | | | | | | | 12th | 1 |
| Croatia | 4th | 7th | 1st | 7th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st | 2nd | 1st | 1st | 10 |
| Denmark | | | | 5th | | 4th | | 7th | 2nd | 2nd | 5 |
| Dominican Republic | | 10th | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Ecuador | | | | | | | | | 13th | | 1 |
| Egypt | 1st | 4th | 4th | 4th | 6th | 8th | 8th | | 15th | | 8 |
| Germany | | 8th | | | | | | | | 4th | 2 |
| Greece | | | | | | | | | 4th | | 1 |
| Hungary | 6th | 5th | 7th | 2nd | | | 4th | 3rd | | 7th | 7 |
| Iran | | | 11th | | | | | 8th | 9th | | 3 |
| Kuwait | | | | | 10th | | | | | | 1 |
| Libya | | | 12th | 11th | | | | | | | 2 |
| Norway | | | | | | | | | 8th | | 1 |
| New Zealand | | | | | | | | 16th | 14th | | 2 |
| Oman | 8th | | | 9th | 8th | 12th | 7th | 10th | | 15th | 7 |
| Pakistan | | | 10th | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Portugal | | | | | | | | | 10th | 3rd | 2 |
| Puerto Rico | | | | | | | | | 16th | 16th | 2 |
| Qatar | | | | 10th | 7th | 3rd | 3rd | 9th | 5th | 10th | 7 |
| Russia | 3rd | 9th | 8th | 6th | 4th | 7th | | 6th | DQ | | 7 |
| Serbia | | | 3rd | | | 6th | | | | | 2 |
| Spain | | 3rd | 5th | 8th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 5th | 7th | 5th | 9 |
| Sweden | | | | | | | | 4th | | | 1 |
| Tunisia | | | | | | | | | | 11th | 1 |
| Turkey | 2nd | 2nd | 6th | 3rd | | | | | | | 4 |
| United States | | | | | | | 11th | 12th | 12th | 13th | 4 |
| Ukraine | 5th | | | | 2nd | | 6th | | | | 3 |
| Uruguay | | | 9th | | 11th | 9th | 10th | 15th | 6th | 9th | 7 |
| Vietnam | | | | | | | | 14th | | | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | |

## Women's tournament
### Summary

| Year | Host | Final | Final | Final | Bronze match | Bronze match | Bronze match |
| Year | Host | Gold | Score | Silver | Bronze | Score | Fourth place |
| 2004 Details | El Gouna | Russia | 2–1 | Turkey | Italy | | Croatia |
| 2006 Details | Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 2–0 | Germany | Russia | 2–0 | Bulgaria |
| 2008 Details | Cadiz | Croatia | 2–0 | Spain | Brazil | 2–1 | Italy |
| 2010 Details | Antalya | Norway | 2–0 | Denmark | Brazil | 2–0 | Ukraine |
| 2012 Details | Muscat | Brazil | 2–0 | Denmark | Norway | 2–0 | Hungary |
| 2014 Details | Recife | Brazil | 2–0 | Hungary | Norway | 2–1 | Ukraine |
| 2016 Details | Budapest | Spain | 2–1 | Brazil | Norway | 2–1 | Hungary |
| 2018 Details | Kazan | Greece | 2–1 | Norway | Brazil | 2–0 | Spain |
| 2020 Details | Pescara | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2022 Details | Crete | Germany | 2–0 | Spain | Netherlands | 2–1 | Greece |
| 2024 Details | Pingtan Island | Germany | 2–0 | Argentina | Netherlands | 2–0 | Denmark |

### Medal table

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Brazil | 3 | 1 | 3 | 7 |
| 2 | Germany | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Spain | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 4 | Norway | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 5 | Russia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 6 | Croatia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Greece | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Denmark | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | Argentina | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Hungary | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 9 | Turkey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 12 | Netherlands | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 13 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (13 entries) | Totals (13 entries) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |

### Participating nations

| Nation | 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2012 | 2014 | 2016 | 2018 | 2022 | 2024 | Years |
| Argentina | | | | | | 11th | 7th | | 7th | 2nd | 4 |
| Australia | | | | | 8th | 12th | 8th | 16th | 16th | 13th | 6 |
| Brazil | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 1st | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 6th | 8th | 10 |
| Bulgaria | | 4th | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| China | | | 12th | 11th | 9th | | | | | 14th | 4 |
| Chinese Taipei | | | | | | 10th | 6th | 13th | | | 3 |
| Croatia | 4th | 6th | 1st | 6th | 5th | | | | | 7th | 6 |
| Denmark | | | | 2nd | 2nd | 7th | | 5th | 5th | 4th | 6 |
| Dominican Republic | | 10th | 11th | | | | | | | | 2 |
| France | | | | | | | | 11th | | | 1 |
| Germany | | 2nd | | | | | | | 1st | 1st | 3 |
| Greece | | | | | | | | 1st | 4th | 10th | 3 |
| Hong Kong | 8th | | | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Hungary | 5th | 7th | | 7th | 4th | 2nd | 4th | | 9th | | 7 |
| Italy | 3rd | 8th | 4th | 8th | 7th | 6th | 5th | | | | 7 |
| Japan | 7th | | | 10th | | | | | | | 2 |
| North Macedonia | | | 10th | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Mexico | | | | | | | | 12th | 15th | | 2 |
| Netherlands | | | | | | | | | 3rd | 3rd | 2 |
| New Zealand | | | | 12th | | | | | | | 1 |
| Norway | | | 6th | 1st | 3rd | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | 11th | 11th | 8 |
| Paraguay | | | | | | | | 8th | | | 1 |
| Philippines | | | | | | | | | | 12th | 1 |
| Poland | | | | | 10th | | 10th | 6th | | | 3 |
| Portugal | | | | | | | | | 8th | 6th | 2 |
| Puerto Rico | | | | | | | | | | 15th | 1 |
| Russia | 1st | 3rd | 5th | | | | | 7th | | | 4 |
| Serbia | | | 8th | | | | | | | | 1 |
| Singapore | | | | | 12th | | | | | | 1 |
| Spain | | | 2nd | 9th | | 5th | 1st | 4th | 2nd | 5th | 7 |
| Thailand | | | | | 11th | 9th | 9th | 15th | 10th | | 5 |
| Tunisia | | | | | | | 12th | | | | 2 |
| Turkey | 2nd | 5th | | 5th | | | | | | | 3 |
| Ukraine | | | 9th | 4th | | 4th | | | | | 3 |
| United States | | | | | | | | 14th | 14th | 16th | 3 |
| Uruguay | | 9th | 7th | | 6th | 8th | 11th | 10th | 12th | | 7 |
| Vietnam | | | | | | | | 9th | 13th | 9th | 3 |
| Total | 8 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 | 16 | 16 | |

## Overall medal count

| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
| 1 | Brazil | 8 | 3 | 4 | 15 |
| 2 | Croatia | 4 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 3 | Norway | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| 4 | Spain | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | Russia | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| 6 | Egypt | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | Greece | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Turkey | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Hungary | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 10 | Denmark | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 11 | Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 11 | Ukraine | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 13 | Qatar | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 14 | Italy | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 14 | Serbia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Totals (15 entries) | Totals (15 entries) | 17 | 16 | 17 | 50 |