Mikkel Hansen

Mikkel Hansen (born 22 October 1987) 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. 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. The couple divorced in 2026.

Individual awards IHF World Player of the Year – Men: 2011, 2015, 2018 Handball-Planet – Best World Handball Player: 2016, 2019, 2021 Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Olympic Games: 2016 Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the World Championship: 2013, 2019, 2021 Most Valuable Player (MVP) 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 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

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 No. Date Venue Opponent Result Competition 1358. 27 July 2024 Paris, France 36–31 2024 Summer Olympics 1359. 1360. 1361. 1362. 1363. 1364. 29 July 2024 30–27 1365. 1367. 31 July 2024 38–27 1368. 1369. 2 August 2024 28–25 1370. 1371. 1372. 1373. 1374. 4 August 2024 32–25 1375. 7 August 2024 Lille, France 32–31 1376. 1377. 1378. 1379. 1380. 1381. 9 August 2024 31–30 1382. 1383. 1384. 1385. 1386. 11 August 2024 39–26 1387.