Denmark is handball world champion for the third time in a row. No team has ever done that before.
Historic title hat-trick for Denmark’s handball players: The protégés of former Bundesliga coach Nikolaj Jacobsen have become the first team in the 85-year history of the World Cup to be crowned champions for the third time in a row. The defending champion prevailed on Sunday in a dramatic and high-class final against Olympic champions and record world champions France with 34:29 (16:15) and won the title as in 2019 and 2021.
At the same time, the Danes successfully took revenge for the bitter final defeats against France at the 2011 World Cup and the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo. For the “Equipe tricolore” it was only the second bankruptcy in the eighth World Cup final. The first was against Russia 30 years ago – also in Stockholm.
Bronze went to Spain. The EM second won the small final against European champions Sweden with 39:36 (18:22) and caused a huge disappointment for the co-host. The German team finished the tournament in fifth place after beating Norway 28:24.
The final was also the duel between the two biggest handball stars of the past 15 years – Nikola Karabatic and Mikkel Hansen, who were each world handball players three times and played together at Paris Saint-Germain from 2015 to 2022.
The 38-year-old Frenchman has already won ten gold medals in his career – three each at the Olympic Games and European Championships and four at world title fights. The Dane, who is three years his junior, can now boast five triumphs at the World Championships, European Championships and the Olympics.
Hansen got off to a better start with his team. After seven minutes Denmark was already ahead of four goals at 6:2. France coach Guillaume Gille responded with an early time-out, but his team continued to struggle.
This was also due to two Bundesliga professionals in the ranks of the Danes. Goalkeeper Niklas Landin from the German record champions THW Kiel fended off a number of throws by the French, who had destroyed the medal dreams of the DHB selection in the quarter-finals. And in attack, Mathias Gidsel from Bundesliga leaders Füchse Berlin put a lot of pressure and a threat on goal from behind.
Only in the closing stages of the first half did the French get a better grip on their rivals and came within a goal. Even after the change, the rivals gave nothing. Although the Danes drew back to within four goals, France didn’t give up and shortened the lead in the closing stages. However, the turning point did not succeed – in the end Denmark celebrated.
