World Handball Championships: Who will be top scorer?
by Tyler Doty | by Tyler Doty
Our Favorites for Top Scorer at the Handball World Cup
Predicting the top scorer of a competition is never easy, and it’s even more challenging for a Handball World Cup. Expectations are high as the sport is back on the world stage after a sizeable bump from the 2024 Olympic Games.
As we saw during the tournament in Paris, there are many players who could shine.
It’s better to look at the rosters of the nations you think will go deep in the tournament. Players from these teams are more likely to play a lot of matches during the competition. And three players have caught our attention ahead of our 2025 Handball World Cup predictions.
Our Number 1 Favorite: Mathias Gidsel (Denmark)
Who else but Mathias Gidsel can be considered the top favorite for the title of top scorer? He has been dominating the scoring charts at recent major tournaments. Need proof? The Danish right-back finished first in the top scorer rankings 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 named Handball Player of the Year in 2023 set a record with his 62 goals in the competition. The current Füchse Berlin player certainly has no intention of stopping there and aims to further cement his place in the history of his sport. He will be one of the main assets for Denmark, the tournament’s favorite.
Currently ranked among the top scorers in the 2024-2025 EHF Champions League with 68 goals, the Skjern-born talent enters the World Cup full of confidence. Seeking his third gold medal in the men’s handball World Championships, the 25-year-old is our top pick to finish as the World Cup’s top scorer.
Our Number 2 Favorite: Renārs Uščins (Germany)
Last summer, Germany surprised everyone at the 2024 Olympics. The German team won the silver medal after an incredible tournament. Along the way, they performed a remarkable feat by knocking out the host nation, France, in the quarterfinals (35-34 after extra time). In that crazy match, Renārs Uščins managed to stand out.
At just 22 years old, the German right-back scored nearly 14 goals in that game. The top scorer of the match played a huge role in Germany’s great run. But it wasn’t just in that match where he shone, as Uščins finished 4th in the Olympic top scorer rankings with 52 goals.
Now with a bit more experience, Uščins returns for the World Championship alongside Juri Knorr and is likely to keep racking up goals. If Germany has a good run in the tournament, he’s well-positioned to make a strong case for a top spot in the scoring rankings.
Our Number 3 Favorite: Dika Mem (France)
He hasn’t played for two months. Dika Mem chose to undergo surgery on his right shoulder after a dislocation. However, the French star is fully fit to compete in the 2025 World Handball Championship. Even with some rhythm concerns, the right-back for FC Barcelona remains one of the top favorites for the title of top scorer. He would have likely been second on our list, had it not been for his recent physical setbacks.
Assuming he’s in good form for the tournament, he’ll definitely be one to watch. We all remember his costly ball loss in the quarterfinals of the last Olympics against Germany, which hurt France's chances. One thing is certain, the 27-year-old talent will arrive at this competition with a strong desire to leave that misadventure behind.
France, eager to put on a better show than at home in the last Olympics, will rely heavily on its leaders, including Dika Mem. He’s used to finishing among the top scorers in major tournaments. Why not change the narrative and aim for the top spot in early 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 wouldn't be surprising to see some players reveal themselves over the course of the competition and surprise all observers. Behind our three favorites, we have also identified a number of outsiders who, in our opinion, will be worth keeping a close eye on.
The favorites 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 favorites. In Denmark, Simon Pytlick shone at the last Olympics, 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 striker when his team needs him, even if he's not spared from injury at the moment. And why not mention France's Nedim Remili? Revenge-seeker after a complicated last Olympics, the French center-half knows he'll be at the center of attention.
Other players, present in less expected selections, can hope to make their mark. Aleks Vlah is almost always prolific with Slovenia. He was the second-highest scorer at the last Olympic Games, just 6 goals behind Mathias Gidsel. Finally, there's 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 this up at the Mondial de Hand?
