MADRID, 2 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Spanish men’s handball team will face Montenegro, Chile and Iran in the first phase of the 2023 World Cup, which takes place from January 11 to 29 in Poland and Sweden.
The draw held this Saturday at the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice showed the way for Jordi Ribera’s team, framed in Group A of the Preliminary Round, current bronze medalist and double world champion.
Spain will face three rivals with whom it hardly has clashes, one against Chile in the 2015 World Championship and the other against Iran in the 2016 Pre-Olympic, the only two official ones. Facing a hypothetical Main Round, second phase, Spain could meet the host Poland, Slovenia and France.
Spain already knew before this draw that it would play the Preliminary Round in Krakow, at the Tauron Arena, with capacity for more than 15,000 spectators. This would also be the venue for the ‘Hispanics’ in the Main Round, with the possibility of moving later to Gdánsk or Stockholm in case of passing rounds and elimination rounds.
The Swedish capital will host the grand final, which will be played at the Tele2 Arena, where Spain won the 2020 European Championship.
–2023 WORLD CUP GROUPS.
GROUP A: SPAIN, Montenegro, Chile, Iran.
GROUP B: France, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia.
GROUP C: Sweden, Brazil, Africa 2, Uruguay.
GROUP D: Iceland, Portugal, Hungary, Republic of Korea.
GROUP E: Germany, Qatar, Serbia, Africa 5.
GROUP F: Norway, North Macedonia, Argentina, Netherlands.
GROUP G: Africa 1, Croatia, Africa 3, United States.
GROUP H: Denmark, Belgium, Bahrain, Africa 4.