Pinheiros has already been placed in a group for the Club World Championship. The 19th edition of the IHF Men’s Club World Championship will be held in Egypt.
On Wednesday, July 22, the draw was held at the IHF headquarters in Basel to determine the groups that will compete from September 24 to October 1.
It will be held for the third consecutive year in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital. South America’s representative will be the champion of the SCA Club Tournament E. C. Pinheiros of São Paulo, Brazil.
The team coached by Alex Aprile was crowned champion in Asunción in June. Pinheiros Wins the SCA Club Championship!
Competition system
There will be 10 participating teams, and there will be a preliminary round consisting of two matches that will determine the final two spots in the group stage.
- Preliminary Round 1 Match: Los Angeles Handball Club (U.S.) vs. Zamalek SC (Egypt)
- Preliminary Round Match 2: Sydney Uni (Australia) vs. Veszprém HC (Hungary)
The two top-seeded teams will face off against a wild-card team. The Los Angeles Handball Club, making its debut as the representative of North America and the Caribbean, will take on Egyptian rival Zamalek SC, which will look to capitalize on its home-field advantage to advance to the group stage.
Meanwhile, Sydney Uni, the team with the most appearances in the competition, faces Veszprém HC, a two-time finalist, champion in 2024, and runner-up in 2025.
Both losing teams will play two games for ninth and tenth place.
New Format
The 2026 edition will increase the number of participating teams to 10, one more than in the previous two editions. Six teams will advance directly to the group stage, while four will compete in a preliminary qualifying round before the start of the competition itself.
The teams eliminated in the preliminary qualifying round will play for 9th and 10th place.
Once the group stage is over, the competition will be a do-or-die contest for places 1 through 8.
The winners of each group will compete for the title; the runners-up will play for the bronze medal; and the third-place teams will compete for 5th and 6th place.
Meanwhile, the fourth-place teams will play in the 7th- and 8th-place games.
Groups
Group A includes FC Barcelona (ESP), Montada (MAR), E.C. Pinheiros (BRA), and the winner of the first qualifying round.
Group B features Füchse Berlin (GER), Al Ahly (EGY), Burgan SC (KUW), and the winner of the second qualifying round.
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Photos: COSCABAL / Jorge Olmedo
