Defeat in the final
German handball players become runner-up world champions
Updated 12/14/2025 – 7:06 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
The DHB women managed a big surprise by reaching the World Cup final. In the final, however, Olympic champion Norway was one size too big.
The German handball players missed out on the world championship title. In the final of the World Cup tournament, the DHB selection suffered a 20:23 defeat against Olympic champions and European champions Norway. This meant that national coach Markus Gaugisch’s team failed to win their first World Cup title since 1993.
Four goals each from Emily Vogel, Viola Leuchter and Alina Grijseels in front of around 8,500 spectators were not enough to lead the DHB women to their second all-German title. Nevertheless, the silver medal represents the greatest success in German women’s handball for more than three decades – and is rewarded with a DHB record bonus of a total of 300,000 euros.
The Norwegians had to tremble until the final phase, but in the end they once again underlined their status as an almost untouchable superior team in world handball. After Olympic gold and the European Championship title last year, the World Cup triumph is already the third success at a major tournament in a row.
Overall, the star ensemble around two-time world handball player Henny Reistad celebrated its sixth title in the last five years. Defending champions France had previously won bronze with a 33:31 win after extra time over co-hosts Netherlands.
For Germany’s handball players, the World Cup was not only a huge success from a sporting perspective. The preliminary round and main round games in front of home audiences in Stuttgart and Dortmund should be used to sustainably increase the visibility and value of women’s handball and to get girls excited about handball. “The sporting result is a boost for the whole movement,” summed up DHB sports director Ingo Meckes before kick-off.
DHB President Andreas Michelmann spoke of expectations that had been exceeded. Backcourt player Emily Vogel emphasized that success has the greatest appeal. There is much to suggest that this World Cup silver medal is not a snapshot – such as the age structure of the team, which could play together for many years to come with an almost identical line-up.
The German selection caused Norway more problems than any other team in the tournament. The defense was wide awake and kept stealing balls. The fact that it was still only 8:7 after 15 minutes was also due to right winger Jenny Behrend, who missed a few chances. Norway’s 45-year-old record national player Katrine Lunde clearly won the goalkeeper duel. Katharina Filter only recorded her first save in the 13th minute.
However, because Norway made an unusually large number of mistakes, Germany was almost in the lead until the break – sometimes even by three goals. “What a first half. What the girls are doing is crazy. We have to keep going like this. I believe in the Christmas miracle,” said team manager Anja Althaus at halftime on the ARD microphone.