Nikola Karabatić

French handball player (born 1984)

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2026-01-27Peak: 1,0332026-02-25

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Key Takeaways

Nikola Karabatić (born 11 April 1984) is a French former professional handball player who was named IHF World Player of the Year a male record-tying three times, in 2007, 2014, and 2016.
With the French national handball team, he won three Olympic gold medals (Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012 and 2020), four World Championship gold medals (2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017) as well as four gold medals in the European Championship (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024).
He was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2024.
There he became French champion in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 as well as winner of the EHF Champions League in 2003.
In the summer of 2009 he left Germany and returned to Montpellier HB, winning three further French champion titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Nikola Karabatić (born 11 April 1984) is a French former professional handball player who was named IHF World Player of the Year a male record-tying three times, in 2007, 2014, and 2016. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history.

With the French national handball team, he won three Olympic gold medals (Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012 and 2020), four World Championship gold medals (2009, 2011, 2015, and 2017) as well as four gold medals in the European Championship (2006, 2010, 2014, and 2024). He also won L'Équipe Champion of Champions in 2011.

He was inducted into the EHF Hall of Fame in 2024.

Club career

Karabatić began his professional career at the top French club Montpellier HB. There he became French champion in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 as well as winner of the EHF Champions League in 2003. He then played for the German club THW Kiel, who became German champions in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and won the EHF Champions League in 2007. In the summer of 2009 he left Germany and returned to Montpellier HB, winning three further French champion titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012. After a quick stay in Pays d'Aix Université Club handball, Aix-en-Provence, between February and June in 2013, he moved to FC Barcelona and then in 2015 for PSG Handball, where he played until his retirement in 2024.