Veszprém captured the 2026 IHF Men’s Super Globe title in Egypt by defeating Barcelona 42–33 on Thursday. The Hungarian champions secured the world crown with a squad featuring four Egyptian players, while Al Ahly claimed the bronze medal in Cairo by defeating domestic rivals Zamalek.
The 19th edition of the International Handball Federation Club World Championship concluded on Thursday evening at the New Administrative Capital Hall in Egypt, drawing ten clubs from across the globe for a tournament with broad international participation. The competition showcased intense tactical battles across the group stage and knockout rounds before culminating in a final night featuring both a European powerhouse collision for the trophy and a high-stakes Cairo derby for the podium.
Veszprém Overwhelms Barcelona in the Global Final
In the tournament’s showcase match, Veszprém defeated Barcelona 42–33 to claim the championship. The Hungarian side met the defending champions in a rematch of previous encounters, having fallen to Barcelona in the 2025 final and defeated them in the 2024 semifinals
The Hungarian triumph carried a distinctly Egyptian imprint under the direction of Spanish coach Javier Pascual, who also leads Egypt’s national team. Veszprém’s roster featured four Egyptian players—Ali Zein, Yehia Elderaa, Ahmed Adel, and Ahmed Hesham Dodo—while Barcelona countered with Saif Elderaa, setting up a sibling rivalry on the global stage as Yehia faced his brother Saif in the championship showdown. Earlier on Thursday, Al Ahly defeated Zamalek 30–25 at the New Administrative Capital Hall to secure the tournament’s bronze medal. International Handball Federation officials noted that the fixture marked the first time in Super Globe history that two Egyptian clubs met in a medal match. The Red Eagles established control early, carrying a 19–13 lead into halftime behind standout performances from players including Mohamed Bassiouni Mody, while Youssef Amr led the scoring effort for Zamalek. Al Ahly maintained their advantage through the second half to seal a five-goal victory. Ahmed Hassan reported from Istanbul for Anadolu on September 29, 2026, with updates on the same day, that Egypt’s Al Ahly achieved a historic 30–27 victory over Germany’s Füchse Berlin, the runners-up of the European championship, on Tuesday at the conclusion of the group stage matches in the Super Globe IHF Men’s Super Globe club handball championship held in Egypt. Al Ahly advanced to the bronze match after securing a 30–27 group-stage victory over German club Füchse Berlin, the runners-up of the Champions League. That win placed Al Ahly second in Group B with four points behind Veszprém. Zamalek secured second place in Group A with four points following a 28–27 win over Brazilian side Pinheiros. The bronze medal marks Al Ahly’s second-ever podium finish in tournament history following their 2024 bronze medal won against Barcelona, alongside a silver finish in 2007 and a fourth-place result in previous iterations. Goalkeeper Abdel Rahman Hamid emphasized that the victory reflected extensive preparation and teamwide commitment throughout the competition to deliver a strong result for club supporters. For Zamalek, the fourth-place finish replicates their placement from 2011 and 2012. The White Knights previously captured the tournament’s bronze medal in 2010 and recorded fifth-place finishes in 2019 and 2021, bringing their total Super Globe appearances to six.
Al Ahly Claims Bronze in First-Ever All-Egyptian Third-Place Derby
Historical Context for Egyptian Clubs on the Global Stage
