World Handball Championship: who will be top scorer?
by Cydias Aujard | by Cydias Aujard
Our favourites for the title of top scorer at the World Handball Championship
It's never easy to pick the top scorer in any competition, let alone a World Handball Championship. There are plenty of players with the potential to shine.
It's best to look at the squads of the nations you expect to go very far in the tournament. These players are more likely to play a lot of matches during the competition. And three players caught our eye before we began our 2025 World Handball Championship Prediction.
Our number 1 favourite: Mathias Gidsel (Denmark)
Who better than Mathias Gidsel to be considered the number 1 favourite for the title of top scorer? He has outrageously dominated the scoring charts in recent major competitions. Need proof? The Danish right-back topped the scorers' charts at the 2023 World Championship (60 goals), the 2024 European Championship (54 goals, tied with Martim Costa) and the 2024 Olympic Games (62 goals).
At the last Olympics, the player who was voted best handball player of the year 2023 set a record in the competition, with his 62 goals. The current Füchse Berlin player certainly has no intention of stopping there and putting his name in the history books of his sport. He will be one of the main assets of the tournament favourites.
On the podium of the top scorers in the 2024-2025 EHF Champions League, with 68 goals, the Skjern native comes into the tournament full of confidence. In search of a third gold medal in the men's world handball championships, the 25-year-old talent is our favourite to finish top of the scoring charts.
Our number 2 favourite: Renārs Uščins (Germany)
Last summer, Germany surprised everyone at the 2024 Olympic Games. The German team won the silver medal at the end of the Olympic tournament. During its run, it pulled off a real feat by ousting hosts France in the quarter-finals (35-34 ap). In a totally crazy match, Renārs Uščins came out on top.
Despite being just 22 years old, the German right-back scored almost 14 goals during the match. The match's top scorer was one of the main architects of his side's excellent run. Not only did he shine in this clash, but he also finished 4th in the Olympic scoring charts, with 52 goals.
The TSV Hannover-Burgdorf player comes to these world championships a few months later with a little more experience. In the company of Juri Knorr in particular, Renārs Uščins is likely to score a string of goals. If his team performs well, he has all the cards in hand to comfortably take his place on the podium of top scorers.
Our number 3 favourite: Dika Mem (France)
He has not played for two months. Dika Mem has decided to undergo surgery on his right shoulder after dislocating it. However, the French star is now fit enough to take part in the World Handball Championship with Les Bleus. Despite his lack of pace, the Barcelona right-back is one of the favourites for the top scorer award. He would certainly have taken second place in our rankings had it not been for his recent physical problems.
With his availability for the tournament, we'll have to keep a close eye on him. We all remember the ball he lost in the quarter-finals of the last Olympics against Germany, which cost the French team dearly. One thing is certain: the 27-year-old talent will be arriving at this tournament with the firm intention of making up for that mishap.
Far from having shone at the Olympics on home soil, France want to show a completely different face. And that obviously involves their key players, including Dika Mem. He is used to being top scorer in recent major tournaments. So why not change things for the better and be right up there at the start of 2025?
Our outsiders for the title of top scorer at the Handball World Cup
We all know how indecisive the battle for the top scorer's title is. It would be no surprise to see some players emerge during the competition and surprise all the observers. Behind our three favourites, we have also identified a number of outsiders who, in our opinion, will be worth keeping a close eye on.
The favourites are well equipped to play the leading roles in this World Handball Championship. So it's not all that surprising to find players from the selections of our three favourites. In Denmark, Simon Pytlick shone at the last Olympic Games, finishing on the podium of top scorers (54 goals). If their opponents manage to keep Mathias Gidsel at bay, he could well come into his own.
Slovenia's Aleks Vlah had a superb Olympic Games and will be one to watch.
On the German side, it's hard not to mention Juri Knorr, in addition to Renārs Uščins. Capable of making numerous assists, he can also play the goalscorer when his team needs him, even if he is not spared from injury at the moment. And why not mention France's Nedim Remili? With a vengeance after a complicated last Olympic Games, the French centre-half knows that he will be at the centre of attention.
Other players, who are in less-anticipated selections, can hope to make their mark. Aleks Vlah is almost always prolific with Slovenia. He was the second-highest scorer at the last Olympics, just 6 goals behind Mathias Gidsel. Finally, there is Kamil Syprzak. The PSG pivot is one of the top scorers in the Champions League in the first half of the season. Why not follow that up at the World Handball Championship?
