 | |
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Host country |  Portugal |
| Venue(s) | 9 (in 9 host cities) |
| Dates | 20 January–2 February |
| Teams | 24 (from 5 confederations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions |  Croatia (1st title) |
| Runner-up |  Germany |
| Third place |  France |
| Fourth place |  Spain |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 84 |
| Goals scored | 4,641 (55.25 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) |  Carlos Pérez (HUN)(64 goals) |
| Best player | Christian Schwarzer (GER) |
The 2003 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Portugal from 20 January to 2 February 2003. It was the 18th edition of the World Championship in team handball and Croatia won the championship.