Croatia Ousts France to Reach Handball World Cup Final
The Croatian national team qualified for the Handball World Cup final, hosted jointly by Croatia, Denmark, and Norway, after a 31-28 victory in the semi-final against France on Thursday.
Croatia finished the first half leading 18-11 before sealing the game with a 3-goal margin, despite a strong comeback from France, the previous tournament’s runner-up.
In the final, Croatia will face the winner of the other semi-final between defending champions Denmark and Portugal, on Friday evening.
This marks the fifth time Croatia has reached the Handball World Cup final, having won the title once in 2003 and lost the final three times in 1995, 2005, and 2009.
France, the most decorated team with six World Cup titles, the last in 2017, failed to reach the final for the ninth time in its history.
France will play for the bronze medal on Sunday, awaiting the loser of the Denmark vs. Portugal match. France previously won the bronze four times in 1993, 2003, 2005, and 2019, and lost it twice in 2007 and 2021.
