Denmark's handball players have won the World Cup for the fourth time in a row.
The Danes, led by World Cup MVP Mathias Gidsel, defeated Croatia 32:26 in a thrilling final in front of a packed crowd at the Unity Arena in Oslo. Gidsel was also named the top scorer with 74 goals at the World Cup, which was hosted by Croatia, Denmark and Norway.
"We never take victory for granted. Every time we enter this tournament, we sit down as a group and try to discuss how to be better. Even though we came as Olympic champions and three-time World Cup winners, we sit down and discuss. Sometimes the coach tells us that we are only playing at 80 percent of our strength. This shows our side as people and as players. We always try to improve, even though we know that we are probably the best team. We are here again and we will try to write another story," Gidsel declared after accepting the award for the most valuable player of the tournament for the second time in a row. The best was also announced in 2023.
It was the 37th consecutive victory in the global event for the undefeated Denmark. The Scandinavian team won the first half 16:12. There was no trouble in the second half and they won the gold medal for the fourth time in a row, after triumphs in 2019, 2021 and 2023. Gidsel shone with ten goals in total.
In the presence of 13 spectators who created a great atmosphere, Domagoj Duvnjak ended his career with the Croatian National Team. He had previously announced that he would end his career. The 300-year-old was greeted with world and European silver medals, as well as a bronze medal from the Olympic Games.
The intense game on the field of play also had an impact on those present in the gym. The Croatian handball players were very aggressive in tackling and sometimes stopped their opponents in an illegal manner. At some points there were even tensions between the handball players. After 20 minutes of play, Marko Mamic of Croatia was sent off with a red card.
also
Denmark, European handball champion
Denmark in the first half, also to the credit of the Croatians, did not shine like in the other matches. The only star was Emil Nielsen in goal. Thanks to his saves, the favorite Denmark had a four-goal lead after the first half.
But, just like in the semi-final against Portugal, Denmark increased the pace of the game after the break and created a lead of up to seven goals. Unlike the Danes, the Croatians did not work the fast game. And the match was decided after 35 minutes. The Croatians were affected by fatigue, which was exploited by the Danes. Meanwhile, France, which holds the record with six trophies won, was decorated with a bronze medal after winning against Portugal, the surprise of this World Cup, in the match for third place. The French triumphed with the score 35:34. For France, it was the 13th medal in the history of the world championships, with six gold, two silver and five bronze.
