Handball World Cup 2023. France – Denmark: final by numbers

French handball team wins the title. The Blues are set to host the World Cup final against Denmark this Sunday, January 29 (9:00 p.m.). Guillaume Gille’s men qualified with a 31-26 win over Sweden in the semi-finals last Friday. The Swedes who eliminated them at the same stage of the competition during the last World Cup (2021) and the last Euro (2022).

With Nikola Karabatic’s participation in the tricolor camp still uncertain due to a left leg injury, the Blues will be determined to win at all costs in this eighth World Cup final. Before this title match begins, take a look at the strong figures of the two opposing teams.

This is the number of World Cup finals achieved by France. The first one is in 1993, when France lost to Russia (28-19) and took the second place. Two years later, in 1995, the Blues got their revenge by winning their first World Cup against Croatia (23-19). In 2001 they won against Sweden (28-25) and in 2009 against Croatia (24-19), they doubled the difference. In 2011, French handball players met Denmark for the first time in the final and won 37-35. In 2015, the Habs won a new final against Qatar (25-22). The Blues’ last title came in 2017 when they beat Norway 33-26. Thus, the eighth final will be held in 2023.

If successful, Nikola Karabatic would win his fifth world championship. In doing so, he would be equal to Thierry Omeyere (2001, 2009, 2011, 2015 and 2017). It remains to be seen if Karabatic will play in this final, the player is uncertain due to a left leg injury. A decision should be made at the last minute based on his health.

According to the number of confrontations between two countries in the final of a competition. The French team also won three of these four finals. He only bowed during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The French then narrowly lost 28–26, allowing the Danes to win their first Olympic title, dethroning France.

This number is nothing more than the number of goals scored by Danish Matias Gidsel. In addition to being the top scorer of his team, he is also the best in the world. This performance is all the more unusual because all of these goals were scored in periods of play, with Gidsel not taking penalties.

This represents the number of consecutive finals the Danes have competed in at world championships (2019, 2021 and 2023). Denmark equals Sweden’s record (1997, 1999, 2001). If they win against the Blues this Sunday evening, Denmark will become the first country in handball history to win a third consecutive world championship.

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Two Pytlicks, father, then son. The French team faced Saudi Arabia in the group stage. Then he won 41-23 against Danish coach Jan Pytlik’s players. The Blues will face the latter’s son, Simon Pitlick, in the final this Sunday. No doubt his father will be in the room to cheer on his son against the team that eliminated him.