Revolution on the road to the World Cup: IHF Nations Trophy Senior 2026 opens doors to handball elite. Handball in our region marks a before and after.
With the launch of the IHF Nations Trophy Senior 2026, the Confederation of South and Central American Handball (COSCABAL) not only opens a new competitive window for its women’s national teams.
But also solves a historic structural challenge: guaranteeing the necessary participation base to maintain our places in the world championships.
This tournament, which will be held in parallel in the regions of South and Central America, will award two slots per subcontinent for the qualifying tournaments for the adult world championships.
This is where the road to the 28th IHF World Championship (Germany and Netherlands 2027) begins to define itself for the emerging nations.
For Marcel Mancilla, president of COSCABAL, the launching of this tournament represents the realization of a long-awaited goal for the confederation:
“This is a fundamental step that consolidates a real and sustainable development path.
The Senior IHF Nations Trophy closes the competitive circle we started with the youth and gives tangible value to the efforts of each country.
I was present at the Council that approved this modality, safeguarding the interests of our region; this decision responds to the vision that more flags of our Confederation compete in major international events,” said Mancilla.
A strategic shield for SCA quotas
Until today, the region faced a recurring dilemma: in order to maintain the number of places allocated by the IHF.
The regulations require that the number of teams participating in the qualifying processes be at least double the number of places available.
Due to geographical distances and economic barriers, this call was not always achieved, forcing the implementation of complex previous phases or reclassifications.
For Mancilla, the IHF Nations Trophy is the tool that gives stability to the system:
“This competition redefines the rules of the game. From now on, these adult tournaments will regularly generate the base of selections for the SCA qualifying processes, correcting the lack of quorum due to economic constraints.
We ensure competitive volume and stability, key elements for defending our continental quotas.
It is a clear political signal: we are building a system that protects and projects the growth of all our countries.”
Fostering Growth: The Role of Emerging Nations
The Nations Trophy is designed to empower countries seeking to consolidate their position.
For this reason, regional powers such as Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay will not take part in this stage, as they have qualified directly for two of the last three World Cups and will therefore go directly to the qualifying tournament in December.
This allows the teams from the Southern Zone (Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, French Guiana, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela) and their Central American counterparts (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) to compete on equal terms for the four tickets (two per zone) that will complete the Continental Qualifiers.
Full IHF support
The success of this model lies in the strong financial support. The IHF will cover:
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Air tickets for all delegations.
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Housing subsidies.
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Technical support: Scouting technology and high quality transmissions (minimum 3 cameras).
Deadlines and venues to take part in the Revolution on the road to the World Cup: IHF Nations Trophy Senior 2026 opens doors to handball elite
Federations interested in hosting the tournaments have until April 5, 2026 to submit their application to the IHF.
The action on the courts is scheduled to take place between May and September 2026, initiating a journey that promises to take handball in South and Central America to a level of visibility never seen before.
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Photos: COSCABAL / Jorge Olmedo
