View source for IHF World Player of the Year

{{short description|Award}}
{{Infobox sports award
| name = IHF World Player of the Year
| image       =
| image_size  =
| alt =
| caption =
| sport = [[Handball]]
| competition = International Handball
| discipline  =
| givenfor = Best Performance in International Handball Competitions
| english =
| first = 1987
| number = 
| mostwins = Men:{{flagicon|DEN}} [[Mikkel Hansen]]<br/>{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Nikola Karabatić]]<br/>(3 awards each)<br/>Women:{{flagicon|ROU}} [[Cristina Neagu]]<br/>(4 awards)
| mostrecent = '''Men''': {{flagicon|DEN}} [[Mathias Gidsel]] (2nd title)<br/>'''Women''': {{flagicon|NOR}} [[Henny Reistad]] (2nd title)
| url = 
}}
The '''[[International Handball Federation|IHF]] World Player of the Year''' is a [[Team handball|handball]] award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season, both at club and international competitions. It is awarded based on votes from experts, media and fans.

==About==
The award was awarded by IHF since 1987 in both Men's and Women's Category separately.

No award was awarded in the years 1989, 1991, 1992, 1993, 2017, 2020 and 2022.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pech für Andy Schmid: Wahl zum Welt-Handballer fällt aus|url=https://www.tagblatt.ch/newsticker/sport/pech-fur-andy-schmid-wahl-zum-welt-handballer-fallt-aus-ld.1032514|access-date=11 December 2018 |work=Tagblatt|date=27 June 2018|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Overview: previous world handball player of the year – both male and female |url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-2-1-25-105811.html |access-date=11 December 2018 |work=handball-world |date=4 July 2018 |archive-date=28 September 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928005231/https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-2-1-25-105811.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Men==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year || Winner || Country || Position || Ref.
<!--For country templates see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Country_referencing_templates -->
|-
|1987|| [[Veselin Vujović]]||  {{YUG}}|| Left back ||
|-
|1988|| [[Kang Jae-Won]] ||  {{KOR}}|| Right back ||
|-
|1989
|align=center colspan="4"|''Not awarded''
|-
|1990 || [[Magnus Wislander]] ||  {{SWE}}|| Centre back ||
|-
|1991
|align=center colspan="4" rowspan=3|''Not awarded''
|-
|1992
|-
|1993
|-
|1994|| [[Talant Dujshebaev]] || {{RUS}}|| Centre back ||
|-
|1995|| [[Jackson Richardson]] || {{FRA}}|| Centre back ||
|-
|1996|| [[Talant Dujshebaev]] (2) || {{ESP}}|| Centre back ||
|-
|1997 ||[[Stéphane Stoecklin]] || {{FRA}} || Right back ||
|-
|1998 ||[[Daniel Stephan]]  || {{GER}}|| Left back ||
|-
|1999 ||[[Rafael Guijosa]] || {{ESP}} || Left wing||
|-
|2000 ||[[Dragan Škrbić]]  || {{FR-YUG}} || Line player ||
|-
|2001|| [[Yoon Kyung-Shin]]  || {{KOR}} || Right back ||
|-
|2002|| [[Bertrand Gille (handballer)|Bertrand Gille]] || {{FRA}} || Line player ||
|-
|2003 ||[[Ivano Balić]]  || {{CRO}}|| Centre back ||
|-
|2004|| [[Henning Fritz]]  || {{GER}} || Goalkeeper ||
|-
|2005|| [[Arpad Šterbik]]  || {{SCG}} || Goalkeeper ||
|-
|2006 ||[[Ivano Balić]] (2)  || {{CRO}} || Centre back ||
|-
|2007 ||[[Nikola Karabatić]]  || {{FRA}} || Centre back ||
|-
|2008 ||[[Thierry Omeyer]]  || {{FRA}} || Goalkeeper ||align=center|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearMen2009/tabid/99/Default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825082922/http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearMen2009/tabid/99/Default.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2010|title=Player of the Year – Men 2008|work=IHF|access-date=7 December 2010}}</ref>
|-
|2009 ||[[Sławomir Szmal]] || {{POL}}|| Goalkeeper ||align=center|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearMen2009/tabid/99/Default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825082922/http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearMen2009/tabid/99/Default.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2010|title=Player of the Year – Men 2009|work=IHF|access-date=7 December 2010}}</ref>
|-
|2010 ||[[Filip Jícha]]|| {{CZE}}|| Left back ||align=center|<ref name="ihf.info">{{cite web|url=http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/WorldChampionships/MensWorldChampionships/MensWorldChampionshipinSweden/News/NewsDetails/tabid/5188/Default.aspx?ID=536|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116055858/http://www.ihf.info/IHFCompetitions/WorldChampionships/MensWorldChampionships/MensWorldChampionshipinSweden/News/NewsDetails/tabid/5188/Default.aspx?ID=536|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 January 2011|title=Neagu and Jicha World Handball Players of the Year 2010|work=IHF|access-date=13 January 2011}}</ref>
|-
|2011 ||[[Mikkel Hansen]] || {{DEN}}|| Left back ||align=center|<ref name=winners2011>{{cite web|url=http://ihf.info//MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=1008|title=Heidi Løke and Mikkel Hansen World Handball Players of the Year 2011|publisher=International Handball Federation|date=1 March 2012|access-date=1 March 2012}}</ref>
|-
|2012 ||[[Daniel Narcisse]] || {{FRA}} || Centre back ||align=center|<ref name=winners2012>{{cite web|url=https://archive.ihf.info//MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=1393|title=Alexandra do Nascimento and Daniel Narcisse are GRUNDFOS World Handball Players of the Year 2012|publisher=International Handball Federation|date=8 January 2013|access-date=8 January 2013}}</ref>
|-
|2013 ||[[Domagoj Duvnjak]]  || {{CRO}} || Centre back ||
|-
|2014 ||[[Nikola Karabatić]] (2)  || {{FRA}} || Centre back ||
|-
|2015 ||[[Mikkel Hansen]] (2) || {{DEN}} || Left back ||
|-
|2016 ||[[Nikola Karabatić]] (3)  || {{FRA}} || Centre back ||
|-
|2017 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2018 ||[[Mikkel Hansen]] (3)  || {{DEN}} || Left back ||align=center|<ref name=winners2018>{{cite web|url=https://archive.ihf.info/en-us/mediacentre/news/newsdetails.aspx?ID=6410|title=Neagu and Hansen named 2018 World Players of the Year|publisher=International Handball Federation|date=18 March 2019|access-date=18 March 2019}}</ref>
|-
|2019 || [[Niklas Landin Jacobsen]]  || {{DEN}} || Goalkeeper ||align=center|<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/oftedal-and-landin-named-2019-ihf-world-players-year|title=Oftedal and Landin named 2019 IHF World Players of the Year|publisher=[[International Handball Federation|IHF]]|date=18 July 2020}}</ref>
|-
|2020 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2021 || [[Niklas Landin Jacobsen]] (2) || {{DEN}}  || [[Handball goalkeeper|Goalkeeper]] ||<ref>{{Cite web |title=IHF {{!}} Danish delight in the 2021 IHF World Players and Coaches of the Year awards |url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/danish-delight-2021-ihf-world-players-and-coaches-year-awards |access-date=2024-01-29 |website=www.ihf.info}}</ref>
|-
|2022 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2023 || [[Mathias Gidsel]] || {{DEN}}  || Right back ||<ref>{{Cite web |title=IHF {{!}} 2023 IHF WORLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR WINNERS REVEALED |url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/2023-ihf-world-player-year-winners-revealed |access-date=2024-03-22 |website=www.ihf.info}}</ref>
|-
|2024 || [[Mathias Gidsel]] (2) || {{DEN}}  || Right back ||<ref>{{Cite web |title=IHF {{!}} Gidsel, Uscins, Reistad and Simon clinch the 2024 IHF Player of the Year awards |url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/gidsel-uscins-reistad-and-simon-clinch-2024-ihf-player-year-awards |access-date=2025-03-28 |website=www.ihf.info}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Women==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year || Winner || Country || Position
<!--For country templates see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Country_referencing_templates -->
|-
|1987|| [[Svetlana Kitić]]|| {{YUG}} || Centre back
|-
|1988|| [[Kim Hyun-Mee]] || {{KOR}} ||  
|-
|1989
|align=center colspan="4"|''Not awarded''
|-
|1990 || [[Jasna Kolar-Merdan]] || {{AUT}} || Left back
|-
|1991
|align=center colspan="3" rowspan=3|''Not awarded''
|-
|1992
|-
|1993
|-
|1994|| [[Mia Hermansson-Högdahl|Mia Hermansson]] || {{SWE}} || Centre back
|-
|1995|| [[Erzsébet Kocsis]] || {{HUN}} || Line player
|-
|1996|| [[Lim O-Kyeong]] || {{KOR}} || Centre back
|-
|1997 ||[[Anja Andersen]] || {{DEN}} || Left back
|-
|1998 ||[[Trine Haltvik]]  || {{NOR}} || Centre back
|-
|1999 ||[[Ausra Fridrikas]] || {{AUT}} || Left back
|-
|2000 ||[[Bojana Radulović]]  || {{HUN}} || Right back
|-
|2001|| [[Cecilie Leganger]]  || {{NOR}} || Goalkeeper
|-
|2002|| [[Zhai Chao]] || {{CHN}} || Centre back
|-
|2003 ||[[Bojana Radulović]] (2) || {{HUN}} || Right back
|-
|2004|| [[Anita Kulcsár]]  || {{HUN}} || Line player
|-
|2005|| [[Anita Görbicz]]  || {{HUN}} || Centre back
|-
|2006 ||[[Nadine Krause]]  || {{GER}} || Left back
|-
|2007|| [[Gro Hammerseng]]  || {{NOR}} || Centre back
|-
|2008|| [[Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearWomen2008/tabid/5516/Default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825082927/http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearWomen2008/tabid/5516/Default.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2010|title=Player of the Year – Women 2008|work=IHF|access-date=7 December 2010}}</ref> || {{NOR}} || Right wing
|-
|2009 || [[Allison Pineau]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearWomen2009/tabid/100/Default.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100825082948/http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/PlayeroftheYearWomen2009/tabid/100/Default.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 August 2010|title=Player of the Year – Women 2009|work=IHF|access-date=7 December 2010}}</ref> || {{FRA}} || Centre back
|-
|2010 || [[Cristina Neagu]]<ref name="ihf.info" /> || {{ROM}} || Left back
|-
|2011|| [[Heidi Løke]]<ref name=winners2011 />  || {{NOR}} || Line player
|-
|2012 ||[[Alexandra do Nascimento]]<ref name=winners2012 /> || {{BRA}} || Right wing
|-
|2013 ||[[Andrea Lekić]] || {{SRB}} || Centre back
|-
|2014 ||[[Eduarda Amorim]]  || {{BRA}} || Left back
|-
|2015 || [[Cristina Neagu]] (2) || {{ROM}} || Left back
|-
|2016 || [[Cristina Neagu]] (3) || {{ROM}} || Left back
|-
|2017 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2018 || [[Cristina Neagu]]<ref name=winners2018 /> (4) || {{ROM}} || Left back
|-
|2019 || [[Stine Bredal Oftedal]]<ref name=":0" />|| {{NOR}} || Centre back
|-
|2020 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2021 || [[Sandra Toft]]|| {{DEN}} || Goalkeeper
|-
|2022 ||align=center colspan="4"| ''Not awarded''
|-
|2023 || [[Henny Reistad]]|| {{NOR}} || Left back
|-
|2024 || [[Henny Reistad]] (2)|| {{NOR}} || Left back
|-
|}

==Previous awards==
While the IHF has only reported awards since 1988, other players have been voted best players in the world before.

Thus, the [[Romania]]n [[Ștefan Birtalan]] was elected World Player of the Year in 1974, 1976 and 1977.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehfcl.com/men/2008-09/article/12370/Handball+legend+amazed+by+CL+Final|title=HANDBALL LEGEND AMAZED BY CL FINAL|publisher=ehfcl.com|access-date=19 March 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811182113/http://www.ehfcl.com/men/2008-09/article/12370/Handball+legend+amazed+by+CL+Final|archive-date=11 August 2017}}</ref> And [[Ioan Moser]] of Romania was also named "Best Handball Player in the World” in 1964.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.augsburger-allgemeine.de/guenzburg/Einst-verfemt-jetzt-Ehrenbuerger-id2966201.html|title=Einst verfemt, jetzt Ehrenbürger|language=de|access-date=18 May 2014}}</ref>

==Best players of all time== 
In 1992, [[Gheorghe Gruia]] of Romania was named Best Player of All Time by the [[International Handball Federation]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.ihf.info/en-us/mediacentre/news/newsdetails.aspx?ID=3000|title=Handball World Mourns the Loss of Icon, Friend & Teacher|publisher=ihf.info|access-date=19 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://recursos.handballspain2013.com/es/News/Details/588/Gheorghe-Gruia | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304194938/http://recursos.handballspain2013.com/es/News/Details/588/Gheorghe-Gruia | url-status = dead | archive-date = 4 March 2016 | title = Gheorghe Gruia: La zurda rumana que dominó el mundo | language = es | access-date = 27 November 2012 }}</ref>

In 2000, [[Magnus Wislander]] of Sweden and [[Zinaida Turchyna]] of Ukraine were elected Players of the 20th Century by the IHF.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archiv.thw-handball.de/thw/neue0006.htm#2000061702|title=Wislander "Welt-Handballer des Jahrhunderts"|publisher=thw-handball.de|access-date=19 March 2017|language=de}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/150902|title=Турчина — лучшая гандболистка века|publisher=kommersant.ru|access-date=19 March 2017|language=ru}}</ref>

In 2010, [[Ivano Balić]] of Croatia and [[Svetlana Kitić]] of Yugoslavia were voted Best Players Ever in an online poll organized by the IHF.<ref>[https://archive.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=418 Ivano Balic voted best male player ever]</ref><ref>[https://archive.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=393 Svetlana Kitic voted best female player ever]</ref>

==Team of the century==
In 2000, the official bulletin of the [[International Handball Federation]], ''World Handball Magazine'', chose [[Gheorghe Gruia]], [[Ioan Moser]] and [[Cornel Penu]] as members of the "Team of the Century".<ref name="SBZ">{{cite web|url=http://www.siebenbuerger.de/zeitung/artikel/alteartikel/1260-geschichten-rund-um-den-handball-in.html|title=Geschichten rund um den Handball in Siebenbürgen (XIV)|language=de|access-date=18 May 2014}}</ref>

==Other awards==
In 2010, the fans voted [[Thierry Omeyer]] as world's best goalkeeper ever.<ref>[https://archive.ihf.info/MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=480 Voting of the IHF users: Omeyer world’s best goalkeeper]</ref> And in 2011, the fans voted for [[Luminița Dinu]] (born Huțupan) as best female goalkeeper ever.<ref>[https://archive.ihf.info//MediaCenter/News/NewsDetails/tabid/130/Default.aspx?ID=526 Fans vote for Luminita Dinu as best female goalkeeper ever]</ref>

Previously in 2009, [[Steffen Fäth]] and [[Cristina Neagu]] respectively won ''Rookie of the Year'' award for male and female.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nineoclock.ro/2010/05/14/neagu-8220world8217s-best-rookie-of-the-year-20098221/ |title=Neagu, “World’s best Rookie of the Year 2009” |access-date=2019-02-02 |archive-date=2019-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201120114/https://www.nineoclock.ro/2010/05/14/neagu-8220world8217s-best-rookie-of-the-year-20098221/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also== 
*[[EHF Players of the Year]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20100721103812/http://www.ihf.info/TheGame/OldStars/tabid/103/Default.aspx All the previous World Handball Players on the IHF homepage]
*[https://archive.ihf.info/TheGame/WorldHandballAwards/tabid/777/Default.aspx World Handball Awards on the IHF homepage]

{{International Handball}}
{{International Handball (Men)}}
{{International Handball (Women)}}
{{International Handball Federation navbox}}
{{IHF World Player of the Year}}
{{IHF World Player of the Year Women}}

[[Category:International Handball Federation awards]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1988]]