After 2019 and 2021, Denmark is handball world champion for the third time in a row. In the final, Olympic champion France was defeated.
Nikolaj Jacobsen was out of control. The Danish goldsmith jumped wildly across the floor with his handball players, then he wiped the tears from his face, deeply touched. Denmark defeated Olympic champions France 34:29 (16:15) in the final in Stockholm, completing a historic gold hat-trick.
“It’s fantastic to have done what nobody has done before. I’m super proud of my boys,” said Jacobsen. After 2019 and 2021, the Danes with the former Bundesliga coach were the first country to conquer the crown of the handball world for the third time. Under Jacobsen, the Danes have not lost a single one of their last 28 World Cup games.
The best Danish throwers in front of 23,050 spectators in the Tele2 football arena were the outstanding Rasmus Lauge with ten goals and Simon Pytlick with nine goals. In the second half, goalkeeper Kevin Möller from SG Flensburg-Handewitt made important saves and became a decisive factor for Denmark, who were not behind once in the entire 60 minutes. Nedim Remili (6 goals) scored the most for the French record world champion in the new edition of the Olympic final.
Bronze went to Spain. The Vice European Champion spoiled the planned medal party for the Swedish hosts and snatched third place with a 39:36 (18:22) like two years ago in Egypt. The Spaniards had lost their semi-final against Denmark (23:26), Sweden lost to France (26:31) in the round of the last four.
Danish Dynamite gets off to a good start
“Now our focus is on getting that damn third gold medal,” Jacobsen said before the final kicked off. And the Danes had this big goal in their ninth World Cup game in 17 days from the start. Because keeper Niklas Landin defused several French throws in the early stages and youngsters Simon Pytlick (22) and Mathias Gidsel (23) initially sunk one ball after the other, Danish Dynamite led 12:7 after 15 minutes.
But France improved by the minute. Especially with their showpiece, the robust defense, Les Experts now presented the Danish attackers around superstar Mikkel Hansen with bigger problems. The French clawed their way back up to the break and even equalized for the first time with Dika Mem’s first action of the second half – but didn’t take advantage of their chance to take the lead.
Instead, Denmark turned up again. Rasmus Lauge from Flensburg hit the front from all positions, Möller, who came on for Landin, shone at the back. Although the French fought until the final minutes, a penalty saved by Landin two minutes before the end at the score of 32:29 decided the game.