French Handball Federation
Professional services
UnclaimedFrance's national governing federation for handball and beach handball.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
The French Handball Federation, known in French as the Fédération Française de Handball and commonly abbreviated FFHB, is the national governing body for handball in France. Established on 1 September 1941, it administers and develops the sport across the country, oversees national competitions, supports clubs and players, and represents French handball in international governing structures. Its responsibilities cover both indoor handball and beach handball, together with the organization and supervision of national teams at senior and youth levels. The federation operates within France's public sports framework and is associated with the French Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Internationally, it is affiliated with the International Handball Federation, the European Handball Federation, and the Mediterranean Handball Confederation. These relationships enable French teams and clubs to participate in world, European, and regional competitions while giving the federation a role in the broader administration of the sport. At club level, the federation organizes or supervises the French men's and women's national cup competitions, commonly known as the Coupe de France masculine and Coupe de France féminine. It also works with the national league structure for club handball. Results in French competitions can provide access to European tournaments, including the EHF Champions League and other European club competitions, subject to the qualification systems in force during a given season. The federation's most visible activities concern the French men's and women's national teams. French men's handball has been one of the strongest international programs of the modern era, with world championship victories in 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017; European championship titles in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024; and Olympic gold medals at Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Tokyo 2020. The men's program also became the first in the sport to hold the Olympic, world, and European titles concurrently, an achievement associated with its sustained international success. The women's program has likewise become a major force. France won the women's world championship in 2003, 2017, and 2023, the European championship in 2018, and Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020. These achievements reflect the federation's long-term investment in elite national teams, youth development, domestic competition, and the institutional infrastructure surrounding French handball. Philippe Bana has served as federation president since 28 November 2020. The federation's current activities include national-team preparation, competition administration, talent development, coaching and officiating support, promotion of handball and beach handball, and coordination with international bodies. It is an active sports-governing organization rather than a conventional consumer brand, with its public identity centered on national representation, participation, competitive excellence, and the development of handball throughout France.
History
The French Handball Federation was founded on 1 September 1941 to serve as France's national association for handball. Its role has developed from basic national administration into a broad governing mandate covering participation, clubs, competitions, national teams, youth pathways, coaching, officiating, and international relations. The federation also administers beach handball as part of its wider responsibility for the sport. The organization operates within France's organized sports system and is associated with the French Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. It represents France in international handball institutions, including the International Handball Federation, the European Handball Federation, and the Mediterranean Handball Confederation. Through these affiliations, the federation coordinates France's participation in international championships and supports the eligibility of French clubs and national teams for European and global competition. Domestic competition is a central part of the federation's work. It organizes the French men's and women's cup competitions, the Coupe de France masculine and Coupe de France féminine, and organizes or oversees the national league structure for club teams. French club success can lead to qualification for European competitions, including the EHF Champions League and other continental tournaments. This domestic-to-international pathway connects the federation's competition administration with the performance of French clubs abroad. The strongest public expression of the federation's development work has been the rise of France's senior national teams. The men's team won world championships in 1995, 2001, 2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017, as well as European championships in 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024. Olympic gold medals followed at the 2008 and 2012 Games and at the Tokyo 2020 Games. The men's program's combination of Olympic, world, and European success made it one of the defining national-team programs in modern handball. The women's team has also established a leading international record. France won the women's world title in 2003, 2017, and 2023, the European title in 2018, and Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020. The federation has also hosted major international events, including men's world championships in 1970, 2001, and 2017 and the women's world championship in 2007. Hosting these tournaments has given the federation opportunities to promote handball domestically while providing venues for the country's elite teams to compete before home audiences. The federation continues to combine mass-sport administration with elite performance. Its current responsibilities include maintaining competition structures, supporting affiliated clubs, preparing national and youth selections, developing coaches and officials, and promoting both indoor and beach handball. Philippe Bana has been president since 28 November 2020. The available reference material does not establish a complete chronology of all previous presidents, headquarters changes, or internal organizational reforms, so those details are not included here.
- 2024
Men's European championship
[1]France won the men's European Handball Championship.
- 2023
Women's world championship
[1]France won the women's World Handball Championship.
- 2021
Women's Olympic gold
[1]The French women's national team won Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games.
- 2020
Philippe Bana becomes president
[1]Philippe Bana began his presidency of the federation on 28 November 2020.
- 2018
Women's European championship
[1]The French women's national team won the European championship.
- 2017
Men's world championship hosted and won
[1]France hosted the men's World Championship and the French men's team won the tournament.
- 2012
Men's Olympic gold in London
[1]France retained the men's Olympic handball title at the London Games.
- 2008
Men's Olympic gold in Beijing
[1]The French men's national team won the Olympic gold medal at the Beijing Games.
- 2007
France hosts the women's World Championship
[1]France hosted the women's World Handball Championship.
- 2003
France wins the women's world championship
[1]The French women's national team won its first listed world championship.
Products and positioning
National sports governing body positioned around the administration, development, and international representation of French handball.
National team
French men's national handball team
The federation's senior men's representative team competes for France in Olympic, world, European, and other international handball events. Its listed honors include six world championships, four European championships, and Olympic gold medals at Beijing 2008, London 2012, and Tokyo 2020. The team is one of the central performance and identity assets of French handball.
National team
French women's national handball team
The senior women's representative team competes in the principal international championships and is among France's leading national sports programs. Its listed achievements include world titles in 2003, 2017, and 2023, a European title in 2018, and Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020.
Domestic club competition
Coupe de France masculine
The French men's cup competition is organized or supervised within the federation's domestic competition structure. It provides clubs with a national knockout tournament and can form part of the qualification route to European club competitions under the applicable regulations.
Domestic club competition
Coupe de France féminine
The French women's cup competition is the federation's corresponding national tournament for women's clubs. Alongside league competition, it helps structure the domestic season and can connect French club performance with European qualification pathways.
Sport development program
Beach handball
Beach handball is within the federation's national governing remit. The federation's responsibilities include supporting the organization and development of the discipline in France in addition to traditional indoor handball.
Player development
Youth national teams
The federation maintains national youth-team structures that form part of France's player-development pathway. These teams support the identification and preparation of younger athletes for international competition and eventual progression to senior national programs.
Brand decisions
2017
Host the men's World ChampionshipOtherBackground
France was selected as the host country for the men's World Handball Championship.
Action taken
The federation organized the tournament in France and supported the national event infrastructure surrounding the championship.
Aftermath
The French men's team won the championship, while the event increased the domestic visibility of handball.
Sources2 sources
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