Mikkel Hansen


Mikkel Hansen is a Danish former professional handball player.
Hansen has won the IHF World Player of the Year a record-tying three times. He played as a left back for most of his career, but towards the end of his career he transitioned to play more as a centre back/playmaker.
He was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2024.

Career

He was voted as the IHF World Player of the Year in 2011, 2015 and 2018 by the International Handball Federation.
He joined FC Barcelona Handbol in June 2008. He previously played for Danish Handball League club GOG, with whom he won the Danish championship in 2007. On 2 June 2010, he returned to Denmark to play for AG København after two years of playing in Spain. After two years and two championships, the club folded in 2012 with Hansen joining the newly formed French team PSG Handball. He played for PSG for ten seasons before going back to Denmark and Aalborg Håndbold.
Mikkel Hansen is an Olympic Champion, a World Champion, and European Champion with the Danish national team, winning the 2016 title in Rio de Janeiro, the 2019 title in Denmark, and 2012 title in Serbia. He was also selected into the All-Star team of the tournament as the best left back. In 2011, he was a part of the Danish team that finished second in the World Championships in Sweden. He was the tournament's overall top goal scorer.
In 2019, he led Denmark to their first-ever World Championships win. He became the top scorer and MVP of the tournament. Later, that same year, he was named the best in the world for the third time of his career.
In 2021, he yet again won the World Championship with Denmark and was selected both as the best left back and as MVP.
In the 2020 Olympics, where Denmark got a silver medal, he was again chosen as the best left back, and he became the top goal scorer with 61 goals. With those 61 goals, he broke the record of most scored goals in one men's olympic handball tournament. During the tournament, he also became the number one goal scorer ever in the men's handball olympics, with a total of 165 goals.
In April 2024 Hansen announced his retirement from handball during the following summer

Personal life

His father,, played for the Danish national handball team, where he played 120 national team matches, scored 240 goals, and participated in the 1984 Summer Olympics.
He married Stephanie Gundelach in 2020. The couple have two sons, Eddie Max born in January 2019, and Vince born in May 2021.

Individual awards

  • IHF World Player of the Year – Men: 2011, 2015, 2018
  • Handball-Planet – Best World Handball Player: 2016, 2019, 2021
  • Most Valuable Player of the Olympic Games: 2016
  • Most Valuable Player of the World Championship: 2013, 2019, 2021
  • Most Valuable Player of the LNH Division 1: 2016
  • Top Goalscorer of the Olympic Games: 2020
  • Top Goalscorer of the World Championship: 2011, 2019
  • Top Goalscorer of the EHF Champions League: 2012, 2016
  • Top Goalscorer of the LNH Division 1: 2015, 2016
  • All-Star Left back of the Olympic Games: 2016, 2020
  • All-Star Left back of the World Championship: 2011, 2021
  • All-Star Left back of the European Championship: 2012, 2014, 2018, 2022
  • All-Star Left back of the EHF Champions League: 2017, 2019, 2021
  • All-Star Playmaker of the EHF Champions League: 2014, 2015, 2020
  • His player number 24 becoming a retired number at Aalborg Håndbold
  • Danish Handball Cup MVP 2011

    Major tournament statistics

TnmtGPGlsShG%7G7SAsAGStBl2MRCPl
2008 OG72242520052710007th
2009 WC840695867296911204th
2010 EC734655200114500405th
2011 WC106812156003410259502nd
2012 EC845895100307542101st
2012 OG628555100285635406th
2013 WC722494400204282202nd
2014 EC839606500498814202nd
2015 WC939675800498823905th
2016 EC733575812387142206th
2016 OG85487621517237711101st
2017 WC6264065771945120110th
2018 EC84379541316246731614th
2019 WC10721086724303710900101st
2020 EC3192966671332001013th
2021 WC74869701417267420011st
2020 OG861100613136319221002nd
2022 EC74869702429267410103rd
2023 WC94160681825367701101st
2024 EC83549712629144900002nd
2024 OG8293681263263500001st
EC Sum562964976070832055011391711
WC Sum6635658361698625060619182023
OG Sum371943206172859328777502
Total159846140060211254548139439344236

Honours

Club

  • French Championship:
  • *Winners: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • *Runners-up: 2014
  • Coupe de France
  • *Winners: 2013–14, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2020–21, 2021–22
  • *Runners-up: 2012–13, 2015–16
  • Coupe de la Ligue
  • *Winners: 2015–16
  • Trophée des Champions
  • *Winners: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019
  • *Runners-up: 2017
  • Danish Championship:
  • *Winners: 2007, 2011, 2012, 2024
  • *Runners-up: 2006, 2008, 2023
  • Danish Cup:
  • *Winners: 2005, 2010, 2011
  • *Runners-up: 2007, 2008, 2023
  • Danish Super Cup:
  • *Winners: 2022
  • Spanish Championship:
  • *Runners-up: 2009, 2010
  • ASOBAL Cup:
  • *Winners: 2010
  • *Runners-up: 2009
  • Spanish Supercup:
  • *Winners: 2009, 2010
  • Spanish Cup:
  • *Winners: 2009, 2010
  • EHF Champions League
  • *Runners-up: 2016–17, 2023–24
  • *Third place: 2011–12, 2017–18, 2019–20
  • IHF Super Globe
  • *Runners-up: 2016

    International

  • Olympics:
  • *: 2016, 2024
  • *: 2020
  • World championship:
  • *: 2019, 2021, 2023
  • *: 2011, 2013
  • European championship:
  • *: 2012
  • *: 2014, 2024
  • *: 2022

    International goals