{"id":188693,"date":"2026-06-11T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/?p=188693"},"modified":"2026-06-11T13:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-11T11:00:00","slug":"inside-the-mind-of-mathias-gidsel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.puma-catchup.com\/es\/corporate\/inside-the-mind-of-mathias-gidsel\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the mind of Mathias Gidsel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Inicio<\/a>\/\n Corporativo<\/a>\/\n Inside the mind of Mathias Gidsel\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Corporativo<\/a><\/div>\n
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inside the mind of mathias gidsel<\/h1>\n
The World’s Most Unstoppable Handball Player<\/div>\n
11 de junio de 2026 <\/div>\n\n
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PUMA CEO Arthur Hoeld sat down with Mathias Gidsel, the company\u2019s newly extended elite handball athlete, for a conversation that went beyond the usual executive-athlete exchange. Driven by a shared passion for the sport, the meeting united two true handball enthusiasts- one leading a global sports brand, the other redefining what\u2019s possible on the court.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Professional handballer Mathias is the only male player to win IHF World Player of the Year three years in a row (2023\u20132025). A triple world champion, 2024 Olympic gold medalist and recipient of multiple MVP honours, he continues to break barriers in the sport at just 27 years old.\u00a0

Together, Arthur and Mathias sat down for a candid exchange about what comes next in the partnership, and how performance and purpose shape the path forward.\u00a0<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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A Partnership for the Long Run\u00a0<\/h2>For PUMA, the collaboration with Mathias Gidsel represents more than short-term success. It\u2019s about building the future of handball, inspiring the next generation, and expanding what performance partnerships can look like.\u00a0

For Mathias, the connection runs far deeper than contracts or campaigns. \u201cI\u2019ve been part of the PUMA family my whole life,\u201d he says. \u201cI grew up in Skjern in Denmark, and from day one my mom put me in PUMA at our local handball club. So signing this extension feels like staying with family. I\u2019m incredibly proud, and I hope I can be part of the PUMA family for the rest of my life.\u201d<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cYou are the Player on the Pitch Right Now.\u201d\u00a0<\/h2>Looking at Mathias\u2019 current performance, Arthur doesn\u2019t hide his admiration. \u201cYou\u2019ve achieved everything there is to achieve internationally, and you\u2019ve been MVP in the biggest finals. You are the player on the pitch right now.\u201d\u00a0

And the facts are difficult to argue: having already built an extraordinary legacy with the Danish national team, Mathias is a record setting force in every major tournament.\u00a0

But for Arthur, the partnership goes beyond trophies. \u201cIt\u2019s important for us to work with the best in their sport. But even more important is working with people who have ambition. Who want to build something beyond the contract.\u201d

That ambition is already visible. Mathias Gidsel\u2019s first signature shoe with PUMA sold out almost instantly. A rarity in any sport, and nearly unheard of in handball.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPUMA Accelerate NITRO\u2122 SQD 4 Mathias Gidsel Handball Shoes \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t
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\u201cI thought maybe we\u2019d make a few pairs and see what happens,\u201d Mathias laughs.
\u201cThen on the first day, it was sold out! I was really pleasantly surprised.\u201d\u00a0<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Building a Signature Legacy in Handball\u00a0<\/h2>For too long, handball has flown under the radar in the wider sports industry, \u201cSince it\u2019s a small sport.\u201d Mathias adds, \u201cBut I truly believe we have our place in sports.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0

Signature shoes are commonplace in basketball. In handball? Not so much… Until now.\u00a0

For Mathias, being involved in product creation is about far more than aesthetics. \u201cThe most important thing is comfort,\u201d he explains. \u201cI don\u2019t want to step into a European final thinking about my shoes. I have enough concerns already.\u201d For him, everything starts with not noticing the shoe at all during a game- it has to feel natural, effortless, like an extension of his body. Mathias also finds weight to be equally crucial. When PUMA introduced the new PUMA Accelerate NITRO\u2122 SQD 4, he felt it immediately. \u201cIt changed the standard. It was so light,\u201d he says.\u00a0
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Yet beyond performance details and aesthetics, the storytelling element matters just as much.\u00a0<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cI\u2019m way more than titles,\u201d Mathias adds. \u201cI want the shoes and the partnership to tell my story about being doubted as a young handball player, about mental struggles, about working through it.\u201d\u00a0<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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That narrative is woven directly into the design. Inside the insoles, the words read: (left)\u201cThey doubted the path\u201d<\/em> (right)\u201cNow you light the way.\u201d<\/em> Serving as a quiet reminder of where he started and where he stands today.\u00a0

And, on the outsoles, his personal mantra is stamped in two words: \u201cForever. Rising.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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More Than Medals\u00a0<\/h2>Despite being currently the best handball player in the world, Mathias stays grounded. \u201cI\u2019m just really good at handball,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cBut I\u2019m also the guy who lets everyone go first in the supermarket.\u201d

His journey hasn\u2019t been without setbacks. After his first major tournament in 2021, Mathias openly shares his past experiences with mental health struggles. He recalls it to be a period that reshaped his understanding of performance.\u00a0

\u201cThat depression helped me,\u201d he reflects. \u201cI realized there\u2019s something more important than just physical training. Mental health matters.\u201d\u00a0

Today, he also credits balance, thanks to his girlfriend, family and his close friends for allowing him to perform freely under immense expectations.\u00a0

\u201cPeople think I\u2019m sick if I only score six goals,\u201d he jokes. \u201cThere are a lot of expectations. But right now, I can really enjoy what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Eyes on the Prize\u00a0\u00a0<\/h2>With Olympic, World, and European titles secured, Arthur questioned: what\u2019s left?\u00a0

\u201cThe Champions League.\u201d Mathias answers immediately. \u201cWhen I came home from the European Championship, my coach said, \u2018Good you haven\u2019t won the Champions League yet, otherwise you might stop playing.\u2019\u201d He laughs.\u00a0
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Luckily for all of us, the day Mathias stops playing hasn\u2019t come yet. His drive and talent continue to inspire both on and off the court. And for two handball lovers- one in the boardroom, one on the court- that shared ambition to grow and develop handball globally is only just getting started.\u00a0

\u00a0\u201cWe hope this is just a small moment in time in our partnership,\u201d Arthur concludes. \u201cWe want many, many more years. As an athlete, as a personality, and as someone who can help us inspire the world.<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Professional handballer Mathias Gidsel sat down with PUMA CEO Arthur Hoeld as two true handball enthusiasts to talk partnership, performance, and how purpose\u2011driven innovation can redefine the sport. <\/p>","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":188696,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"is_top_article":true,"is_featured_article":true,"EasyPostViewCounter":132,"meta-headline":"inside the mind of mathias gidsel","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"class_list":["post-188693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-corporate"],"fullData":{"ID":188693,"post_author":"3","post_date":"2026-06-11 13:00:00","post_date_gmt":"2026-06-11 11:00:00","post_content":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n","post_title":"Inside the mind of Mathias Gidsel","post_excerpt":"Professional handballer Mathias Gidsel sat down with PUMA CEO Arthur Hoeld as two true handball enthusiasts to talk partnership, performance, and how purpose\u2011driven innovation can redefine the sport. 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