Reistad and Gidsel revealed as EHF Excellence Awards 2025 MVPs
Two superstars and the season’s top scorers in their respective EHF Champions League competitions — European champion with Norway Henny Reistad and world champion with Denmark Mathias Gidsel — were chosen in their positions in the “Team of the Season” earlier in June, after voting for the EHF Excellence Awards 2025 concluded.
Based on their outstanding performance on the club and national team level, the two have been named the Most Valuable Players of the 2024/25 season.
Next to Reistad and Gidsel, two under 21 players were announced as the Best Young Players of the season. Swiss right wing Mia Emmenegger, who played her debut EHF FINAL4 this season with Team Esbjerg, and Spanish left wing for MT Melsungen, Ian Barrufet — the EHF European League Men top scorer — have taken the prestigious titles this year.
The announcement took place at the EHF Champions League 2025/26 group phase draw on Friday in Vienna.
MVP female category: Henny Reistad
Norwegian centre back Henny Reistad continues to go from strength to strength, and 2024/25 was another outstanding season for the 26-year-old. At the EHF EURO 2024, she was the second top scorer as Norway won gold, led the championship in assists and was named All-star centre back. In the EHF Champions League Women 2024/25, Team Esbjerg’s Reistad was the overall top scorer with a huge 154 goals, and also added 15 goals to her EHF FINAL4 tally. With now 93 goals in five appearances, she is the all-time top scorer in Budapest. Plus, Reistad reclaimed her IHF World Player of the Year crown, taking the 2024 title after her first in 2023.
MVP male category: Mathias Gidsel
Despite missing out on the Machineseeker EHF Champions League title, Mathias Gidsel had an incredible year in 2024/25. The Danish right back was the MVP and top scorer of the 2025 IHF Men’s World Championship, scoring 74 goals — including just one penalty. He was also the top player when it came to assists. That performance followed his re-naming as IHF World Player of the Year for 2024 — his second title in a row. For his club, Füchse Berlin, Gidsel scored 135 goals in the Champions League, including nine at the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4, where Berlin finished second. Gidsel was also crucial to Berlin’s Bundesliga win and was named MVP of the German season.
Best Young Player female category: Mia Emmenegger
The Women’s EHF EURO 2024 was a breakout tournament for Switzerland, and their excellent 12th-place finish owes a lot to Mia Emmenegger. The right wing — 19 at the time of the tournament, and now 20 years old — shone in every match, scoring 30 goals in total and being nominated as one of the best young players of the championship. On a club level, Emmenegger played her first season in the EHF Champions League Women, starting out with Vipers Kristiansand before joining Team Esbjerg. She scored five times in the third-place match at the EHF FINAL4 Women in Budapest, helping Esbjerg to victory.
Best Young Player male category: Ian Barrufet
Spanish wing Ian Barrufet has a lot to live up to in handball, as the son of legendary goalkeeper David Barrufet. But the 21-year-old is showing that he is not afraid of the challenge. The 2024/25 season saw Barrufet loaned from Barça to MT Melsungen in Germany, where he flourished. Barrufet ended the season as the EHF European League Men top scorer with 90 goals, as well as finishing third in the Bundesliga and runners-up in the German Cup. Plus, Barrufet scored 11 times on his World Championship debut for Spain.
