When Marko Mamic caught the Danes Rasmus Liege at the neck and saw the red card early, the World Cup final for the Croatian handball players had run. In any case, it would have required tremendous effort to keep up against the big favorite in the final of Oslo, but without Mamic, your head of defense? No, no chance.
In the end, the Danes cheered on Sunday evening after their 32:26 (16:12) final success like small children, they turned on the field in the circle, all all around. This is always nice to look at with this team, which is more than usual to win at World Championships: since 2019 the Danes have not lost a World Cup game; 37 games are now four complete tournaments. World Champion 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2025, it is an impressive series. They are also the Olympic champion, only the European Championship final 2024 has lost Denmark against France.
:The handball shouldn’t think bigger, but smaller
The first handball world championship ended in three countries ends with the expected world champion. Nine games, nine safe victories, a total of 330 goals – that are the figures of the Danes. Her everything outstanding, Mathias Gidsel, was also the best scorer in this final with ten goals. With a total of 74 goals, Gidsel, of course, was also awarded the tournament’s most valuable player (MVP).
In the meantime, the Croatian threatened a fiasco like the German team at Olympia
Up to the red card for Mamic in the 21st minute, the Croatians had held astonishingly well and were close to the equalization several times. With their hard gait, Croatia made it difficult for Danes. The dream of a big title in the last game of Domagoi Duvnjak, the Croatian handball legend, lived very briefly; For the last time he was on the record for his national team in Oslo. But then the game crumbles. Until half -time, the Danes ran away with four goals, and there were eight goals up to the 45th minute. In the meantime, the Croatians threatened a similar fiasco as the German team had experienced in Paris in the Olympicinal in 2024 when the Danes acted particularly relentlessly and ultimately threw 13 goals lead.
This time it was “only” a final win with six goals. Minutes before the game, the players cheered with coach Nicolaj Jacobsen. For the final seconds, the old and new world champion had saved a special gesture: the Croatian Duvnjak, 36, was allowed to walk through the Danish defense and throw the ball into the goal without resistance. He was then hugged by numerous Danish players.
In the game for third place, the French celebrated a narrow 35:34 win against Portugal and got bronze. Fourth place is still a great success for the Portuguese: the team has never cut out so well at big tournaments.