SHERIDAN, WYOMING – Feb. 5, 2025 – The European Handball Federation (EHF) has unveiled its highly anticipated four-year national team rankings, with Denmark and Norway securing the top spots in the men's and women's categories, respectively. These rankings, which consider the results of the last two European and World Championships, underscore the Scandinavian nations' continued dominance in the sport.
Men's Handball: Denmark's Consistency Pays Off
Despite not clinching an EHF EURO title since 2012, Denmark's remarkable consistency in the IHF World Championship, where they recently secured their fourth consecutive title, has propelled them to the summit of the men's rankings. "Denmark’s men won their fourth straight world title last weekend," solidifying their position with an impressive 112 points.
Trailing Denmark is France, who demonstrated their prowess by defeating Denmark for gold at the Men’s EHF EURO 2024 and securing bronze at the recent World Championship. France's total of 105 points places them in a strong second position.
The complete men’s EHF four-year national team ranking 2022-25 is as follows:
- Denmark – 112 points
- France – 105
- Germany – 82
- Sweden – 79
- Croatia – 73
- Hungary – 66.5
- Portugal – 65
- Norway – 65
- Iceland – 58
- Spain – 56
Women's Handball: Norway's Dominance Unchallenged
On the women's side, Norway's reign is even more pronounced. Their victories in three of the four major events since 2022, with the sole exception being a final loss to France in the 2023 World Championship, have cemented their position as the undisputed leaders. "Those results give Norway, on 116 points, a clear advantage over second-ranked France (103)," according to the EHF release.
Denmark, while not having secured a major championship since 2021, has consistently performed well, earning silver or bronze medals in all four recent events. This consistency has earned them a respectable third place with 102 points.
The women’s EHF four-year national team ranking 2021-24 is as follows:
- Norway – 116 points
- France – 103
- Denmark – 102
- Sweden – 86
- Netherlands – 77
- Germany – 74
- Hungary – 67
- Montenegro – 66
- Spain – 51
- Slovenia – 49.5
Ranking Methodology: A Blend of Recent and Past Performance
The EHF four-year national team ranking system employs a weighted approach, taking into account the results from the last two European and World Championships for each gender. "A win is worth 160 points, second place is 144, third 128, fourth 120, etc." To emphasize recent performance, points earned in the two oldest events are weighted at 50 percent, while points from the two newest events (for men: the EHF EURO 2024 and the 2025 IHF World Championship; for women: the 2023 IHF World Championship and the EHF EURO 2024) are weighted at 100 percent. The total points are then divided by four to arrive at the final ranking. "If two nations have the same number of points, the result from the most recent year decides their position in the ranking."
Looking Ahead: The Future of European Handball
These rankings provide a valuable snapshot of the current landscape of European handball and highlight the nations to watch in future competitions. With both Denmark and Norway at the helm, the Scandinavian influence on the sport remains strong.