France secured third place in a high-class handball thriller at the Women’s World Cup.
The defending champion defeated co-hosts Netherlands in the bronze medal game in Rotterdam 33:31 (26:26, 12:11) after extra time and ended the tournament on a positive note after losing to Germany in the semi-finals. The Dutch missed out on their first medal since the 2019 World Cup triumph when they said goodbye to star player Estavana Polman.
The two teams had already met in the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam in the previous tournament. The Dutch women prevailed in the main round game (26:23).